


Intern

by Nightglider124



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Titans (Comics)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Multichapter, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-29 08:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17804558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightglider124/pseuds/Nightglider124
Summary: AU. Dick Grayson can't help but fall for his new intern secretary although he knows how wrong it is especially when his girlfriend suspects he is up to something. Will Dick ignore his feelings for his employee or will he act upon them? Multi-Chapter. Originally written in 2013. Kudos/Comments are appreciated! ^.^





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Another older fanfic. Honestly? I like the concept of this story but I don't particularly like the style of writing nor do I like how rushed it feels. Idk, I feel like I still need to work on these elements, even now. I need to make chapters less choppy because they kind of go all over the place and don't always follow on fluidly from the previous chapter... Bleugh... I need to work on it. Anyway, originally written in 2013.

The streets of Gotham were extremely busy as people were bustling about their day. Some could say the city was busier since December was fast approaching and people were eager to begin their Christmas shopping; however, long time citizens of the town would say different in a heartbeat. The end of autumn was always the worst for Gotham; the streets became a lot darker and the chill in the air was sharper. Anyone could imagine the pure joy when December finally arrived. Amongst the hectic atmosphere, frustration was an all too familiar feeling that kept surfacing within a specific company building.

Within the very top floor of Wayne Enterprises, a certain male was becoming more and more irritated by every passing minute. Any normal person would believe such stress was being caused by the stacks of paperwork however; Richard Grayson was having trouble remaining sane for a completely different reason,

"I thought you wanted this folder completed?" His airhead of a secretary assumed, popping her bubblegum between her teeth.

"No Shontelle... I gave you the folder and said not to make any amendments to it because it needed to be looked over. I gave you the red folder and told you to write the already written notes up." Dick exhaled, angrily. He always tried to keep a reasonable tone even when the majority of his secretaries got their tasks completely wrong.

"Well you totally should be clearer Mr Boss dude." Shontelle replied stubbornly, checking her nails to make sure they weren't chipped. Dick grinded his teeth in annoyance and ran a hand over his face.

"Right." He mumbled. Shontelle clicked her tongue and glanced at the clock,

"I'm gonna go for my lunch break now!" Shontelle chirped, jumping in place and turning towards the office doors. Dick snapped his head up in disbelief,

"Shontelle, you've got work-" He was cut off,

"Human rights, dude!" She responded, ducking out of the office without another word. Dick groaned and rubbed his temples angrily. Dick got up from his chair and wandered over to the doors. He propped one of the doors open to take a look at Shontelle's workstation.

He couldn't believe what a mess the desk was in. Empty soda cans were sprawled over the desk with a couple littering upon the floor. Crumbs were dotted over the ripped chair and what angered Dick most of all was the fact that there was more bottles of nail polish than there was paperwork or stationary.

"That's it." Dick seethed, clenching his fist by his side. He stormed down the hallways in search of the only person in charge of Dick's decisions; it was ironic how the same person was his adoptive father.

When he came to Bruce Wayne's door, he didn't even stop to rap his knuckles against the door. He barged straight in and planted his hands firmly against the mahogany desk, creating a loud thud. Bruce stared at him patiently with an eyebrow raised,

"I want her gone." Dick demanded, jaw set.

"Her being...?" Bruce urged,

"Shontelle! She barely does work and treats the place like a home from home."

"Why don't you wait a while? She might change-"

"No!" Dick commanded, "I'm sick of this, Bruce. I don't want any more bubble headed bimbos or any more fat oldies who hardly remember what I asked them seconds before."

Bruce nodded as a sign that Dick had his attention,

"Seriously. Where do you even find these secretaries? I need someone who's willing to actually do work; not someone who uses the job as a pastime."

Bruce shrugged, "If you're not happy with your current secretary then I'll be happy to find you a new one," He informed him,

Dick sighed in relief, "Thank you," He breathed. Bruce held up a hand which made Dick gulp on cue.

"But," Bruce began, causing Dick to groan, "Since Shontelle is  _your_  secretary, I expect you to fire her."

Dick visibly slumped, "But I hate that!" He protested, "They either cry or yell and throw things at me."

Bruce made a disapproving expression at Dick and pointed to his door, "Go and fire her." Bruce ordered,

Dick rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "I can't yet..." He huffed, "She's on her lunch break."

Bruce held an expression of confusion before double taking at the clock, "It's 9am..." He stated.

Dick sighed, "I know. Do you see what I mean now?"

"I'll work on it and try and find you a new secretary within the next few days," Bruce reassured, ushering Dick from his office. Dick nodded in thanks and stalked back to his office, feeling a migraine coming on.

After about an hour of Dick simply relaxing in his chair to relieve him of his headache, the doors to his office swung open and Shontelle strolled in, "You wanted to see me?" She wondered, chewing a new piece of gum. Dick sat up and sighed,

"Yeah... Shontelle, listen..." He started, "As great as you've been at this job... I'm afraid I'm gonna have to let you go..."

"You are  _so_  not serious, right?" She asked, flabbergasted at the idea of being fired,

"I'm afraid I am serious. It's just that-" She cut him off with a wave of her hand,

"D'you know what? I don't even need this crappy job. Ya'll don't know what you're losing." She ranted, storming out of Dick's office. Even when she was just outside, he could still hear her incessant moaning. With a heavy inhale of breath, Dick pushed himself away and up from his desk to follow Shontelle out. He stood by the door and tried to look remorseful about firing her but he was honestly so ecstatic that she was no longer going to be working there. She was beyond terrible.

Dick had completely stopped listening to her words of anger and rage but he was drawn out of his own thoughts by her last shout throughout the floor, "JERK!" She shouted, stomping her foot and huffing. She turned away, box of things in hand and stormed through the hallways.

Dick smirked once she had completely gone and punched the air with as much enthusiasm as he could. He knew no one was around but he cleared his throat and straightened his suit immediately afterwards.

He turned and re-entered his office as casually as he could without seeming too gleeful at the thought of no more idiotic secretary.

Dick gently cricked his neck as he made his way out of his car. He really needed to obtain a new and more comfortable way of sleeping; every other morning he had to deal with soreness in his joints. He yawned and stretched his arms above his head, locking his car in the process.

The first thing he did when he got into the lobby of the workplace was buy a strong espresso; he definitely needed it this morning. Bruce had informed him the previous night that he had found him a new secretary. Bruce's recommendation of this one seemed to be rated pretty high; he had told Dick that she was very eager to work and was very organised and she had received quite high standard references. These factors definitely intrigued Dick but what really shocked him was the fact that this girl was only 18 and yet she had more work experience than Dick himself who was now 22. That was the very gist of what Bruce had told him; he would have at least liked to know her name or what she looked like.

As Dick received his caffeine fix and paid, he felt a firm hand come down upon his shoulder. Dick turned and wasn't really surprised to see Bruce,

"Hey," He greeted before taking a sip of the coffee,

A man of few words, Bruce simply nodded his 'hello' to Dick. Most people would usually become insulted at Bruce's silence but Dick had become accustomed to it; he had had 12 years to do so in all fairness.

"So," Dick began, "Tell me some more about the girl then,"

"She's waiting at her new workstation," Bruce explained, "What else do you need to know?"

"A name would be good, Bruce."

"Well her name is Kori Anders."

"Kori... Huh... Go on."

"Mm... She's had 4 different jobs since finishing high school at the start of this year?"

"Not bad... What else?"

Bruce sighed, clearly bored of giving Dick a file report on his new intern. Dick couldn't help but smirk. He may not have been classified as a teenager anymore but he would forever be stuck in his ways; especially when it came to irritating Bruce.

Dick and Bruce stepped into the elevator and Dick pressed the button leading to the top floor. While they waited, Dick decided to try and get some more info on Kori,

"So what type of girl is she?" Dick wondered,

"What?" Bruce groaned,

"Serious, bimbo, polite? What?"

"She seems quite... perky."

"Mm... Never had a perky secretary before."

Bruce didn't respond.

"Is she a paid or unpaid intern?"

"Paid," Bruce said in a matter of fact tone, "I don't think this company has ever tried unpaid,"

Dick nodded to show that he was listening. He hated having to make small talk with Bruce; whereas Dick was willing to talk, Bruce was not.

Finally they arrived on the desired floor. Dick eyed Bruce carefully, "What? You're gonna walk me to my intern?" Dick asked, sarcastically,

"Well do  _you_  know what she looks like?" Bruce retorted,

Dick made a face, "Fair enough," He shrugged. They continued walking through the hallways. He wouldn't admit it out loud but Dick was kind of excited about gaining a new secretary; as long as she did her job, he saw no reason why they couldn't get along; maybe even be general friends.

They rounded the final corner and Dick gulped as he noticed a red haired girl patiently waiting at the secretary desk. He smiled fondly as she was already tidying things on the desk to be more organised. They approached and Bruce cleared his throat, causing the young girl to jump and turn to them with a friendly smile.

Dick felt his jaw drop slightly. Something Bruce had completely forgot to mention was the fact that Kori was  _stunning_. His main focus was drawn to her eyes. They were a deep shade of emerald green and they glimmered more that Dick thought other people's eyes shone. Her eyes practically lit up as her dazzling smile electrified every feature upon her face which only enhanced her beauty. Dick found it coincidental that her hair matched exactly to the preferred hair colour and length that he was always so very fond of. Kori's skin was moderately tanned and gave her a very distinct exotic appearance.

"Dick," Bruce sounded, "This is your new intern secretary; Kori Anders,"

Dick blinked a couple times to shake his intense thoughts involving Kori's appearance. He produced a friendly smile upon his features and gently put his hand out to her,

"Nice to meet you, Kori. I'm Richard Grayson and I'll be your new boss." He said in a professional tone that he used with every employee but he couldn't help but feel as though his greeting seemed more upbeat than it usually was.

Before Kori could answer, Bruce placed his hands behind his back, "I'll leave you to it then. Good luck, miss Anders." Bruce said with a forced smile before disappearing towards his own office.

Dick's eyes never left Kori's face as she nodded to Bruce. When she turned back to face him, Dick's mood intensified slightly,

"Greetings, Mr Grayson. I would like to thank you for the opportunity of working here at Wayne Enterprises; it means ever so much to me," She voiced with that infectious smile of hers.

"No problem. It seems you've got a lot of ranged experience which only makes you perfect for the position," He replied, placing his hands in his pockets at an attempt to break down the social boundaries. Kori's smile only grew and Dick felt his own lips quirking up into a smile. Kori placed her hands behind her back in an obedient manner and stared up at him,

"What would you like for me to do first?" She questioned,

Dick cleared his throat and shook his head, "Oh right..." He coughed and readjusted himself, "Follow me please, Kori."

Kori nodded and instantly followed behind Dick as he marched into his office. He picked up a small stack of paperwork that was urgently needed and turned back to Kori. He smirked as he watched her staring around his office in awe,

"Like it?" He chuckled,

"Forgive me," She apologised, tinging slightly pink, "I have never seen such a lovely office."

"Thanks," Dick grinned. He suddenly felt like he was back in high school; Kori seemed so easy to get along with and the thoughts he had earlier on involving her good looks pulsed within his mind; it wasn't really something he could ignore.

Kori bashfully nodded and strode closer to him. Dick gulped as her hands slipped against his own while she took the paperwork from him,

"Please," She voiced, "Is there a specific time you need this paperwork to be completed by, Mr Grayson?"

 _Her voice is so angelic_  Dick thought to himself.

"Mr Grayson?" Kory prompted,

"Huh? Oh!" He was trying and failing miserably at acting cool in front of her, "Uh... If you could get them done as soon as possible Kori, that'd be fantastic."

"I shall begin working on it immediately." She promised. She brought the stack closer to her chest and nodded to Dick before turning and swiftly leaving his office.

Dick smiled after her but his dreamy smile vanished suddenly and he ran a hand over his face. He was conflicted.

_What the fuck am I doing? She's your intern, Dick; you can't think of her in any way other than professionally. C'mon... You've only just met her. She might be a terrible worker. You wanted a secretary who does the work, not one who captures your attention every time she speaks! Although... She is really endearing and really quite beautiful- Stop it Dick! Sit down and do the work that YOU are supposed to be doing._

Having a mental argument with himself wasn't helping anything in the slightest. He sighed and took a seat and tried to forget about the impact that his new employee had already had on him...

... Which was kind of hard considering Kori was back within 45 minutes with the work he had given her earlier on, finished and completely up to scratch.

Okay... So, trying to convince himself that she was going to be a terrible worker had already failed...


	2. Chapter 2

The following weeks went by a lot faster than Dick could imagine. With Kori around, all the work was done pretty quickly and he definitely had no complaints. Everything she did, she did with a smile and Dick honestly found himself in much cheerier moods when he strolled into work lately.

Not only was Dick in better moods and the work was getting done; himself and Kori had become a lot closer. Dick had never even attempted to be friends with any of his employees in the past yet Kori was so very different. Above the attraction, she was sweet and very bubbly which was simply endearing. He could excuse it for making her 'comfortable' in her new workplace but really, he talked to her because he wanted to; he understood the no dating within the workplace rule set by Bruce but that didn't mean he couldn't at least be friends with Kori, right?

He had noticed a ton of different things about Kori over the passing weeks of her working at Wayne Enterprises. Most days, he would generously sit with Kori in the cafeteria to keep her company; Kori may have been friendly but that didn't necessarily mean the rest of the employees were. Most of the male population within the building were drawn to Kori like a moth to a flame but for all the  _wrong_  reasons. When she walked by, they ogled her like she was simply a piece of meat and that angered Dick. He wasn't sure why exactly but he got irritated when the men would grin like Cheshire cats at her as she ambled past them. Part of him told himself that it was because he may like Kori more than just an employee but he found that thought absurd; he just didn't like the lack of respect between genders within the workplace.

With that in mind, Dick had offered to sit with her at lunch numerous times since she had begun working there. The more this occurred, the more comfortable they got with one another. It was nice to finally have a friend within work; Dick always had trouble breaking down the social boundaries between himself and others at work. They usually thought of him as some spoilt rich kid who only got such a high status job because of his adoptive father. Before Kori had arrived, he'd usually just get his secretary to fetch his lunch for him and he'd eat in his office while continuing through the piles of paperwork. He didn't once ask Kori to go out and get him things; he thought more highly of her and didn't think she needed to be handed such tedious tasks considering she was way above the standards of his last few secretaries.

During lunch times, they would talk about all different things; some things general and some things work related but never personal. It wasn't that they had absolutely no trust in one another to keep things to themselves but more so that nothing personal had ever really come up. One particular lunch was practically burnt into Dick's memory due to the amount of laughter that was emitted from the two. Dick being Dick had decided to give voices to those talking on different tables whose voices were incoherent to Kori and Dick. At first Kori had tried so very hard to suppress giggles but it proved too difficult for the young red head; by the end of that lunch, they were both in stitches and had people from other tables staring at them strangely. That had been a good day, Dick remembered; he hadn't exactly heard Kori laugh since she had arrived there but he was glad he had heard it. It was serine and joyful and there was a subtle chime to Kori's giggles that made her so very adorable.

There were also small things that Dick noticed Kori would do around the office and at her own desk. One morning, Dick had gone to fetch a coffee from the small machine just across from Kori's desk and couldn't help but smirk at the tiny action she did. Whilst waiting for the coffee to blend, Dick had casually thrown a glance in Kori's direction and he  _had_  to smirk at the face she was pulling. There she was, concentrating on the work that was placed in front of her and she tapped her pen against her cheek and bit her lip innocently; Dick felt his heart flutter to say the least.

Dick still had daily thought arguments with himself which were always about Kori as of late. He let himself slip into the mindset of thinking of her in a... not so innocent way which he immediately slapped himself for; she was his secretary and that was the way it had to stay not to mention, he had a girlfriend after all.

It proved to be a difficult task for him to  **not**  think about Kori though. She was always there which... he really didn't mind but she was distracting at most. There had been a couple occasions when Dick had been caught by Kori when he was staring at her and they would both blush but the tables turned on that one; Dick smiled when Kori had been staring at him and frantically tapped the keyboard when he glanced at her. He didn't know what the heck he felt. It was strange. She was seemingly a lot younger than he or at least, he felt she was.

He shook his head and sighed to relieve himself of any thoughts of Kori. It was Friday night and Dick had headed straight to the usual bar he hit up with his friends. He didn't feel the need to change out of his work clothing; most of his friends came from work so it wasn't like he stuck out. He did loosen his tie however before completely removing it and chucking it into the backseat of his car. Once he had parked up, he got out and locked the car. He was wary tonight; he was hoping on not drinking enough to make him incapable of driving; he wanted a drink but he really didn't feel like having a hangover the following day.

As he headed inside, the smell of smoke and alcohol filled his senses. The scents were beyond potent but Dick had learned to adapt to them. He wasn't an alcoholic or anything and he didn't visit bars that many times but he was still pretty young and when there was a chance for alcohol with his buddies, he went for it. It helped to relieve some of the stress he had to put up with from his life.

He scanned the area and heard loud laughing from a certain table and smiled, immediately knowing it was crowded with the guys. He strolled over with his hands shoved into his pockets and smirked at the guys, "Wheeey! Look who showed up!" Wally chuckled, moving over to let Dick shuffle into the space. He hesitated as he thought about getting a drink before taking a seat, "I had to finish up some files. Tonight is actually an early get out time for me," Dick shrugged, grinning,

"Aw poor baby!" Vic boomed, pounding his fist against the table as chuckles overtook him. Dick raised an eyebrow at Garfield,

"Is he drunk already?" He asked, half seriously,

"Nah, you know Vic is just..." Garfield paused to think of the right descriptive word, "Flamboyant."

Dick, Wally and Vic all ceased in any smirks or laughter and stared at Garfield, "Did... Did you just say an intellectual piece of vocabulary?" Vic quizzed,

Garfield broke out into the biggest grin and chuckled, "I read it on a commercial. Don't worry guys."

The guys all chuckled. Dick turned towards the bar, eyes still focused on the boys, "Hey, I'm gonna get a drink. Anyone want-" Dick was interrupted as he bumped into someone with a moderate amount of force,

"Oh, apologies, I-" The girl began,

Dick's eyes widened slightly but a friendly smile etched itself upon his lips nevertheless, "Kori?" He asked in disbelief.  _Definitely has to be a sign... What the... Shut up, you don't even believe in fate... Do you?... I really need to stop talking to myself in my head..._ Dick thought,

"Richard," She replied in her usual bubbly voice,

"What're you doing here?" Dick smirked, "You're not even old enough to drink,"

Kori poked her tongue out at him playfully, "I am not here to partake in the consumption of alcoholic beverages," She explained, "I am waiting for my friend, Donna. She works here."

Dick nodded and bit his lip slightly, still not completely believing she was here. Outside of work. In front of him. Suddenly, a scarlet tone overtook Dick's cheeks as he heard Wally clear his throat from behind,

"Huh?" Dick mumbled, turning around before realisation set in, "Oh! Kori... Meet my friends,"

Dick cleared his throat before pointing to each male individually, "That's Wally West, Garfield Logan and Victor Stone," He introduced. Each of the guys smiled at her poilitely or nodded their head as a greeting but of course, Wally had to step it up. Wally took her hand and kissed the back of it, "Awesome to meet such a beautiful woman," He smoothed.

Kori raised an eyebrow at Dick but giggled,

"This is my new secretary... Kori Anders," Dick further spoke. He smiled fondly as Kori placed a hand behind her back and shyly waved at them all,

"It is nice to meet you all," She commented, smiling brightly at them all.

Dick rubbed his neck as he felt heat spread, "Do you wanna sit with us til Donna comes out?" He queried, nervously.

Kori turned to him and he couldn't help the sudden wave of nerves that washed over him. Kori smiled timidly, "You would not mind?" Kori wondered,

"Of course not, Kori," Dick returned, smile softening, "Sides... I think Wally's just dying to get to know you some more."

"How's your girlfriend by the way, Wally?" Garfield grinned. Wally shot him a sharp expression and huffed. Kori giggled and took a seat beside Vic. Dick stepped up to the bar and ordered himself a beer and he decided to get Kori a soda; he didn't want to give her alcohol... It didn't seem... Kori-like.

While he waited, he leaned on his elbow and watched Kori giggle and chat with the guys.

He found it amazing how well she got along with them. Wally was trying to crack jokes at first and Kori was clearly forcing a giggle so that his ego wouldn't be bruised while Vic and Garfield simply gave him blank stares.

"So... Kori..." Wally hushed, "Tell us... Is Dick as much of an ass type of boss as we imagine him to be?"

Kori looked shocked, "Oh no... Richard is very kind and very sweet." Kori responded, glancing at the subject of the conversation. Her eyes lingered on him so she didn't see the smirks exchanged from Wally to Garfield and Vic and vice versa.

"You're so young! I'm surprised they even let you work at Wayne Enterprises; they don't usually allow people out of high school." Vic informed her,

Kori shrugged, "Mr Wayne told me my resume was extremely impressive and I was needed urgently so I went with it." She answered.

The boys nodded in understanding.

Dick carried the drinks back over to the table and was amused by the sight in front of him. Currently, Vic and Kori were arm wrestling and maybe it was a strange thing to find attractive but the fact that Kori was winning really made Dick smile. Kori smashed Vic's hand against the table and clapped to herself in a child-like manner, "I am sorry to disappoint you, Vic but you have been defeated," She grinned,

"I give you props, little lady. You're way stronger than you look!" He complimented, causing Kori to giggle shyly. She must have been thirsty from entertaining the guys because half of her drink was slurped down in under 2 minutes.

They told some more jokes and asked Kori about herself some more however; their conversation was eventually cut short as a tall woman with black hair appeared by their table, "Heya Kor! Sorry to keep you waiting. I got roped into cleaning glasses." Donna groaned but perked up straight after, "Ready to go?"

Kori nodded and stood from the seat. She brushed her clothing down and smiled at the boys, "I must go... Thank you for allowing me to sit with you all. It was so very lovely to meet you boys." She chirped, earning smiles and nods from the guys.

"We'll see you around though, yeah?" Garfield wondered,

"Perhaps," Kori giggled. She let her gaze fall on Dick,

"I shall see you on Monday, yes?" She asked shyly. Dick flashed one of his infamous grins and nodded,

"See you Monday, Anders," He chuckled. Kori giggled and bid them farewell before wandering out the door with Donna by her side.

Dick couldn't help it when he watched after the door. He sighed and slumped against the seat. Wally nudged his arm and smirked, "You like her, don't you?" Wally teased,

"What? No! That'd be weird..." Dick lied,

"How would it? She's really nice," Garfield shrugged,

"Well... Yeah she is... But it'd be weird because she's my employee..."

"Pft! Shut up; now I know you're just making shit up. In seriousness though, she's really pretty and sweet, Dick. She's into you anyway."

"Well I-" He paused, "What?"

Wally grinned but Vic continued, "Yeah. It was obvious when she stared at you when you were ordering drinks,"

Dick gulped slightly but shook his head and tried to act nonchalant, "It doesn't matter. I have a girlfriend and she's like 4 years younger than me... She's just pretty and nice... That's all." Dick tried to convince himself,

"Whatever dude. We know you like her and you know it too... Just try not to let Barbra figure that out or she'll kill you." Wally chuckled,

Dick slumped further against his seat and groaned at the mention of his girlfriend. She was back in town soon and although he should have been looking forward to it... He really wasn't...


	3. Chapter 3

Dick groaned for what seemed like the hundredth time. He had been working on a business presentation that needed to be shown the following day for practically the whole day. He knew why he was so bad at things like this; he wasn't trained for business. The whole suit and desk wasn't really him; or at least, not what he wanted to be. He sighed as he noticed the time on his computer.  **23:16pm**

He usually went home at 7 o'clock in the evening but no, not tonight. He had vowed to himself to stay put until he had finished the stupid presentation. With some hope in his heart, he peeked in his coffee cup and was moderately disappointed to find no trace of caffeine. He didn't even remember drinking the last of it; that's how tired he was.

It creeped him out ever so slightly to know that he was alone in the building. It was a huge place and you would never know what was lurking. He felt a shiver dance across his spine and he shook his head to free his mind from such thoughts. Dick yawned and leaned his elbows on his desk. He stared at the computer screen for a long time, hoping to somehow receive instant ideas and knowledge but alas... That did not happen.

His fears of creatures lurking within the darkness of the building came back to haunt him immediately as he heard noises outside of his door. His heart plummeted as he saw one of his doors slowly begin to open. He began mentally assessing if his zombie killing skills would be as good in reality as they were when he played on his gaming system.

Any fear or uncertainty melted away as he saw a wonderful figure step through. He breathed out in content as Kori stood about 3 metres away from him. His heart began to beat a little faster, he noted. He softly smiled as Kori blew some of her hair out of her eyes in an irritated manner. She shrugged and brightly smiled at him. Dick couldn't help but notice how awesome she looked; whether it was because he was drowsy and he didn't care what his thoughts were like or because he just wanted to mentally tell himself that; he didn't know. Kori strolled up to his desk and juggled the objects in her hands. Dick only then noticed what she was holding.

Under her left arm, Kori had two folders which were stacked neatly together. She placed them down on the desk first. Then, he noticed she had a small cardboard holder with two coffee shop cups. He gulped at that; the chance to have some caffeine. Lastly, she held a large stable type of bag which smelled delicious. He raised an eyebrow at her,

"Kori?" He paused, "What are you still doing here?"

Kori placed the coffees down and tapped the folders with her slim fingers, "I was finishing the rest of today's work." She explained and her expression softened; almost becoming sympathetic, "Also... I noticed how very stressed and tired you were becoming with the efforts towards your presentation so I thought to bring you some things."

Dick practically lunged for the coffee. He carefully sipped it and exhaled a sigh of tranquillity, "I love coffee too much." He admitted, causing Kori to laugh. Dick eyed the bag some more,

"What else d'you get?" He chuckled. Kori grinned and pulled out two slim boxes from the bag. Dick almost jumped on her with delight.

"You got pizza!?" He asked, excitedly,

Kori nodded, "Of course. I was not very sure what flavour you enjoy so I got you pepperoni." She explained, handing him one of the boxes. Dick was lost for words. He knew he was getting crazy over pizza but it wasn't that which was making him like this. He was acting this way because Kori had gone out of her way to do something sweet. He really did like that quality of hers. Kori shrugged,

"Besides," She paused, smirking, "Neither of us have consumed dinner. This is acceptable, yes?"

Dick smiled, "More than acceptable. This is awesome Kor. Thanks." He approved,

Kori nodded with a cheery smile, "Oh!" Kori remembered, bringing out 2 cans of soda from the amazing bag of wonders. She shrugged as she slid one across the desk to him, "In case you did not wish to drink coffee with your food." She amended.

Dick stared at her for a moment, "You are  _the_  best secretary I've ever had." He informed her. Kori giggled.

She collected her can of soda and her own box of pizza and turned to leave the office.

Dick tilted his head, "Where are you going?" He wondered,

"I was going to go and eat at my desk, Mr Grayson," She answered, shyly. Before Dick could continue the original conversation, he had to stop her there.

"Kori, you know you don't have to call me that." He told her,

"At work I do..." She replied, a little bit confused,

"Yeah, when we're around executives and stuff; not when we're together. Remember at the bar, you acted like I was just a friend?"

Kori nodded,

"Well, that's fine when we're alone same as I wouldn't call you 'Kor' in those circumstances."

"So... When we are alone... You are Richard. When we are here during working hours... You are Mr Grayson,"

Dick chukled, "There you go,"

Kori giggled and nodded, dropping the formality. She wandered back over to him and placed her things down on the desk.

"Perhaps... I could assist you on your presentation, Richard?" Kori offered. Dick loved the way his name rolled from her tongue; he wouldn't deny that one.

"I would love that, Kori." He agreed, pulling a chair up beside him for her. While Kori made her way around the desk, Dick had already grabbed his first slice of pizza and was busy stuffing it into his mouth without trying to look like an animal. Kori stared at him as she hesitated to sit. He mentally kicked himself repeatedly as he had a strong feeling that she was going to be completely grossed out; Barbra always got grossed out when he ate like that. Taking him by surprise, Kori giggled and shook her head. His heart fluttered at the sound of her giggles and it was nice to have a girl beside him who wouldn't curse him for being such a male.

Dick took a swig of his soda to wash down his food and in the process, noticed Kori getting comfortable. As she sat down, she kicked off her little heels and crossed her legs on the chair and pulled her box of pizza towards her. He found it endearing how she could be so mature and yet so adorably childish at the same time. She pushed her chair closer to Dick so that she could reach the computer. He smirked as she began to take control and poke her tongue out in concentration,

"Hm... Let us see what we can do..." Kori mumbled, her eyes focusing on the screen. Dick stared at her for a moment with a soft, loving smile before shaking his head and eyeing the screen to observe what Kori was writing.

An hour passed by speedily for the two as they became absorbed within the work of Dick's presentation. Although, they had finished the presentation within 30 minutes and they spent the remainder of said hour, talking about all kinds of things.

Dick crushed his second cup of coffee in his palm and chucked it in the bag Kori had brought the pizzas in. Dick leaned back in his chair with his feet firmly touching the ground. His hands were linked and were placed against his stomach as he stared at Kori. It was far from a creepy stare; where they had been talking, their eyes had simply locked with each others to signal that they were listening. Kori mirrored Dick's position except her legs were still crossed upon the chair and her hands rested in her lap.

"So... I gotta ask you something," Dick began, earning a nod from Kori to continue, "Do you really wanna work in an office like this forever?"

Kori let out a small laugh, "I do not. I needed a job and it just so happened that you were in need of a secretary so I applied in hopes of getting it."

"So what do you want to do, eventually?"

"I would really like to try modelling..." Kori paused in thought, "I have been told in the past that my height would be useful for such a career,"

"And your appearance."

"Excuse me...?"

"Well... You're beautiful... Models need to be beautiful so you've got all the key necessities."

Kori blushed; Dick could see by the light of the computer screen, "I... Thank you..."

Dick grinned and nodded, "Do you wish to work here for your whole life?" Kori queried,

Dick snorted and shook his head, "No way. I wanna be a cop someday." He admitted,

"Then why do you work here?"

Dick shrugged, "Bruce wanted me to work here after I left college."

"He is... your adopted father, correct?"

Dick smirked, "You a fangirl?"

Kori matched his smirk, "Should I be?"

Dick chuckled, "Well played, Anders."

Kori giggled and covered her mouth as she yawned. Dick sighed, "I think this will have to do for the presentation. I can't think of anything else to write even if I wanted to."

"I believe it is a good presentation," Kori told him, smiling sleepily.

"As good as it can be, anyways." Dick replied, stretching as he stood up. He began switching the power off within the office as Kori collected all the trash to place in the trashcan.

They walked down to the car park together, furthering their general talk. Dick smiled at Kori as she stood timidly in front of him, "You need a ride home?" He offered,  
Kori shook her head, "Oh no, that is alright. I can walk-" Dick interrupted her with a facial expression,

"Have you seen how dark it is? No way are you walking. C'mon." He instructed, nudging his head in the direction of his black car. Kori got in and watched Dick do the same. Kori clicked her seatbelt into place and looked through her bag to make sure that she had everything she needed. She nodded to herself as Dick began pulling out of the car park.

Kori began using her hands to direct Dick on where she lived as his location knowledge was pretty awful, "And then it is a left on that road. You cannot miss it." She informed him,

"Wait... Isn't that an apartment block?" He wondered,

Kori nodded.

"You live in an apartment with your family? Damn, that must be crowded." He observed,

Kori smiled patiently and shook her head, "I live alone in the apartment," She corrected him,

"You don't live at home?"

Kori shook her head.

"Most independent 18 year old I've ever met..." He said more so to himself.

Kori shrugged and peered out the window at the sky which was only illuminated by the glowing white orb, "I had my reasons... I did not get along so well with my family. One day my parents told me to leave... So I did," She explained, nonchalantly.

Dick's expression saddened for her predicament, "I'm sorry, Kori..." He murmured, feeling like a complete idiot for bringing it up.

Kori turned to him with one of her joyful smiles that made him feel 'butterflies'.  
"It is alright. You did not know. Besides, I enjoy living alone. Of course it is lonely sometimes but mostly... It is quite an experience." She commented, waving a hand to emphasize her words.

"I get what you mean. I live alone in my apartment too," He shared,

"You do not live with your girlfriend?"

"Nah, I-" Dick faltered, "Wait, how'd you know I have a girlfriend?"

"Besides it being in the newspaper very often?" Kori rolled her eyes, "She calls for you on most days but you usually tell me to place a lot of people on hold. Would you like me to put her through more or-"

"No!"

Kori raised an eyebrow at his outburst,

"She... She just gets on my nerves a lot..." He mumbled,

"You are not happy in your relationship?" Kori asked, quietly,

"I don't know... We've been together for a year now and I just don't feel a... spark anymore. Y'know?"

Kori nodded as she listened to him carefully. Dick  _had_  to ask his question...

"So, do you share the relationship troubles?" Dick chuckled, hiding the fact that he  **really**  wanted to know.

Kori laughed and shook her head, "Not anymore... I had a boyfriend until around... 4 months ago." She told him,

"You broke up?"

"There were... very serious problems within our relationship. It was for the best that we separated."

Dick nodded as he pulled up outside Kori's building, "Here we are," He breathed, leaning back in his seat a little.

"Thank you, Richard." Kori blinked,

Dick nodded, "No problem." He returned,

"No... I do not mean just for the car ride home but thank you for being a very good friend to me as well as a very good boss." She smiled,

Dick matched her expression, "Thank you for being a good friend and an awesome secretary to me, Kori." He chuckled. Kori giggled.

They gazed at each other by accident for a passing moment before Kori leaned towards him.

A large part of him was daring to hope that she was going to kiss him. But, she did not.

Kori wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his chest against hers as she embraced him in a friendly gesture. Dick rested his hands against her and softly rubbed her back. He could feel the thin vest she wore beneath her smart shirt and he noticed his fingertips ran across her the back of her bra. He turned a bit pink and decided to stop letting his hands do their own thing. He soaked up the scent of her hair and skin. She smelt tropical and fruity. He loved it.

It wasn't a kiss but he was grateful for any contact at all form her. He felt immediately cold as Kori pulled away from him, his arms slipping from her back, to her waist, to his own lap.

She bid him goodnight and scurried from the car to the main lobby. Dick watched after her, even after she was inside. God, she was beautiful. She had many qualities other than her appearance. She was sweet, cute, helpful and beyond friendly; not to mention, she had a figure that was jaw dropping.

 _What am I doing? I can't like Kori... Wait... Do I like Kori? I can't like Kori. She's 4 years younger than me... Isn't that weird? No... She's just my secretary, right? Nothing more... Well... She is a friend... Shit._ Dick mentally convinced himself of what he already knew.

He had definitely begun to fall for Kori and... He was kind of okay with it...


	4. Chapter 4

The following day, Kori anxiously sat at her desk, tapping a pencil against the surface repeatedly. She was so nervous for Dick's return. He had gone away for his presentation just over an hour ago and she had been worried for the success of it since the minute he stepped into the elevator. She smiled fondly as she reminisced in such a recent memory. He had given her a lopsided grin and a wink from inside the elevator and it had caused her heart to flutter like crazy.

She shook her head and sighed. She hoped so very much that the presentation had gone well. Not only did she want the company to succeed even further but she also didn't want Dick to be rejected. He had worked so hard.  _They_  had worked so hard.

Suddenly, the doors of the elevator dinged before slowly revealing the people inside. Dick was speaking with Bruce as they exited the cramped space. Kori inhaled a breath and got to her feet. She wandered around the side of her desk and clasped her hands in front of her. She patiently waited while he finished up his conversation with Bruce Wayne. Kori bit her lip as he walked closer to her. Kori tried hard to ignore how close he came. She glanced up at his face with hopeful eyes,

"So...?" Kori whispered, "Was the presentation successful?"

Dick suddenly smirked and his features lit up as he excitedly took hold of Kori's hands, "They agreed to collaborate with the company!" He announced, causing Kori to grin and gasp. She was so happy for him; she knew how important it was to him.

Kori squealed with delight as Dick chuckled proudly. He leaned downwards and collected her up in a hug. Absent mindedly, he picked her up and spun her slightly. Kori giggled at the action and didn't give much thought to how unprofessional the display was. She enjoyed the feeling of his hands against the small of her back although she knew she shouldn't; she couldn't help it. She loved the boyish musk that was his scent and she didn't complain when their chests pushed against each others. She felt wrong for thinking of him in such a way but that didn't mean she was going to stop...

They sobered in their laughter as they heard a distinct noise. Someone was in the room now and had cleared their throat quite obviously. Dick slowly put Kori down and released her petite waist. Kori and Dick both glanced round at the women who was standing with her arms crossed, looking unimpressed. Kori cleared her own throat and took a step back from Dick, brushing her skirt down in an attempt to look professional.

The woman had dark red hair and light blue eyes which were currently being used to scowl at the two of them. Her face was contorted into a very deep glare which made Kori feel awkward. The woman made eye contact with Kori for a brief moment before glancing at Dick,

"Hi Dick." She almost spat. Dick straightened up and a light blush spread across his cheeks,

"Oh... Uh... Hey Babs..." Dick stuttered, feeling self-conscious between the two females.

Kori blinked innocently as she glanced from Dick to Barbra and back to Dick again. You didn't have to be a mind reader to understand that this woman was apparently very angry.

Dick coughed slightly and looked to the woman for a split second and gestured towards Kori, "Uh... Babs... This is Kori," Dick introduced, "My new secretary intern,"

Kori being Kori simply smiled politely to the red head. Dick continued, "Kori... This is Barbra... Y'know... My girlfriend?" He seemed to add emphasis on the last part as if asking for help. Kori's eyes widened in realisation and she straightened up, placing her hands behind her back. Barbra was currently scanning Kori as if she was some sort of creature that was unknown,

"Oh, greetings, Miss Gordon," Kori said, sweetly, "I have heard much about you,"

Barbra tilted her head as if weighing her theories on Kori before forcing a smile against her face. Kori cringed inwardly; it was beyond obvious that Barbra would rather pour lemon juice and salt into a wound than be civilised towards a female who was hugging her boyfriend moments ago. She slowly put her hand out to Kori,

"Mm... Nice to meet you..." She sounded genuine but Kori knew better than to believe that was true.

Kori's small smile stayed in place as she shook Barbra's hand. Kori didn't feel very nervous around Barbra. She was apparently trying to come across as being intimidating but Kori felt that by doing so, she was portraying more of a pathetic aura. By acting so bitter, she was presenting her insecurities and complete lack of faith in her 'boyfriend' around other girls. That much was clear to Kori.

When Kori released Barbra's hand, she brushed down her skirt and nodded to Barbra politely before scurrying back behind her desk. She began to busy herself with nonexistent work. If Dick and Barbra were going to argue, she  _really_  didn't want to be a part of it. As Kori sat down, her eyes remained focussed downwardly to avoid being dragged into any unnecessary drama.

Barbra placed all of her attention back on Dick as she narrowed her crystal eyes at him. Dick gritted his teeth without it being obvious; he hated it when she would turn up and moan about nothing. What he and Barbra 'had' was far from a successful relationship. He had been mentally running scenarios through his head recently depicting different ways to break up with her. He knew he didn't feel anything for her anymore. He thought he was completely head over heels at first but that fizzled out quicker than expected. He sighed and his shoulders visibly slumped,

"I need to talk to you." Barbra ordered,

"Can't it wait? I'm seriously busy with-" Dick was interrupted,

"Now." Barbra finalised. She stormed past him with her arms cross over her chest and her nose held up to the air. She looked the part for a bratty little kid at that particular moment. Dick shook his head with an exhausted exhale of breath. Dick trudged after his girlfriend and made sure he closed the doors firmly.

Kori bit her bottom lip and fiddled with her fingers as she stared at the doors. Kori sighed; she wished that she could hear what they were talking about.

Dick barely even made it back into his office before he was bombarded with questions, "What the fuck was that?" Barbra seethed,

Dick was slightly lost and his eyes shifted to show this, "What're you talking about?" He asked, completely bewildered.

"The hug with that little tramp!"

"Are you serious? Sides, she isn't a  _tramp_ , Babs. She's a really lovely girl."

"Do you want to fuck her?"

"What!?"

"Oh please." She muttered, "It's not the first time I've asked you that, is it?"

"You get so paranoid..."

"Excuse me!?"

 _Shit._  Dick thought before exhaling a breath, "Look. There is nothing between me and Kori, alright? She's just my secretary."

Barbra sighed, "You swear?"

"I swear."

There was a pause before Barbra's glare of death switched into a devilish expression which made Dick feel uncomfortable. He stepped back and he felt his backside bump against the edge of his desk. She had a new fire in her eyes that practically screamed, 'Let's have sex.'

In complete honesty, the thought of such an activity with Barbra made Dick feel a little uneasy. He didn't have feelings for her; that he knew and so, he didn't want to take advantage and have sex with her if it was absolutely meaningless. In addition to that, Dick had begun to come to terms with the fact that he really  _wanted_  Kori in all ways; not just physically. He knew that sounded awful, he really did but he couldn't help his own feelings. Other than the fact he was currently in a relationship with someone he didn't love anymore and he was falling for another, there wasn't a problem he could see about even being with Kori. Even the age didn't bother him. Kori was 18 while he was 22; it was completely legal and it wasn't like there was a 50 year age difference. His mind throbbed at the thought of Bruce's rule about no relationships within the workplace but he was pretty sure he could lie through his teeth for that or simply work ways around it.

Her voice became seductive, "Feel like having a little bit of fu-" Barbra stopped her advance as Kori's voice crackled through over the receiver on Dick's desk. Barbra clicked her tongue and leaned away from Dick, placing her hands on her hips in irritation,

"Mr Grayson, your 4 o'clock appointment with Mr Rush is starting momentarily within the main board room." Kori informed him. Dick inwardly smiled and sighed in relief; Kori had saved him from that awkward moment. He reached over and pressed a button to reply to Kori,

"Thank you Kori," He responded, letting her know that he had acknowledged her notice.

Dick turned back to Barbra and faked a disappointed expression, "Oh... Damn... Uh... Maybe some other time, yeah?" He mumbled, shrugging his shoulders. Babs rolled her eyes but fixed a grin against her features,

"Definitely," She quickly placed a kiss on his lips, "See ya,"

Dick plastered a smile onto his face and nodded to Barbra. He wandered over to the door to almost escort her out. She strolled out of his office and he noticed Kori stare at her the entire time. Barbra glanced in Kori's direction and Kori gave her a polite smile to which Barbra rolled her eyes at.

Kori slowly rose from her chair and stepped around her desk, her expression becoming hard. She didn't like Barbra one bit. She was unnecessarily mean and she didn't deserve a boyfriend like Dick. They seemed very different indeed; Dick was sweet while she was sourly bitter.

Kori sighed and didn't realise Dick was standing behind her now. He smiled at her form and understood that Barbra probably infuriated her, "Your message about the appointment really helped me there, Kori." He chuckled. Kori turned suddenly, completely shocked by his presence.

"Oh! Mr Grayson... I did not realise you had come out of your office..." She babbled, looking at the ground. Dick waved a hand of dismissal to her. He found it cute how she would stare at the ground in her embarrassed moments.

"I do not mean to sound rude but..." Kori trailed off as she glanced up at Dick through her lashes, "I do not like her very much..."

Dick chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, "Trust me, not a lot of people do." He told her. Kori giggled and straightened up to look at him properly.

His smiled faded ever so slightly as he realised something, "Wait... Kori?" He began,

"Yes?" She answered,

"I don't have the appointment with Mr Rush today; I have it tomorrow..." He stated,

Kori's cheeks immediately burned up and she shyly placed her hands behind her back. She looked away from him to avoid eye contact at all costs, "Oh... Is that so?" She faked a shocked tone and Dick knew it, "Apologies, Mr Grayson; my mistake."

With her face becoming redder by the second, Kori turned away and shuffled some papers together nervously. Dick smirked from behind her and bit his lip to try and stop the spreading smile on his face. He wouldn't allow himself to fully believe that Kori liked him back but it was nice to think it; especially when she did little stunts like that to prevent any action between him and his girlfriend. Dick suddenly had an idea and cleared his throat to capture Kori's attention once again,

"Hey Kori?" He started,

Kori turned back to him with her cheeks appearing a lot less flustered, "Yes?" She replied, smiling. Dick glanced around and took her hand to pull her a little closer. Kori gulped.

Dick let go of her hand and leaned against her desk, "What are you doing tonight?" He wondered,

Kori felt her heart skip a beat, "I have nothing currently planned. Why?" She responded,

"Well... Wally's having a party tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come with?"

"Are you not going to invite Barbra? She would surely be very angry if she knew I went with you. Would she not?"

"Wally hates Babs so no... She's not invited," Dick shrugged, "And... She doesn't  _have_  to know you came with me; she doesn't even need to know you were there. It's not her business..."

Kori tilted her head slowly from side to side as if considering his words carefully.

"C'mon... What'd you say?" Dick asked, grinning.

"I suppose... Yes... I would like to go with you, very much." She laughed, sensing his enthusiasm.

"Awesome!" Dick cheered, causing Kori to giggle again and shake her head at him, "I'll pick you up around 7pm, yeah?"

Kori nodded cheerfully and beamed at him. Dick nodded and grinned while he backed away, bumping himself against the desk clumsily. Kori giggled behind her delicate hand at that. He nervously smirked and went back to his work. Kori stared at the door with a shy smile. The part of her that  _did_  like Richard was apparently growing...


	5. Chapter 5

Dick whistled to a tune from the quiet sounding radio as he pulled up outside Kori's apartment block. He changed his whistling to that of humming as he whipped out his phone to text Kori. After the message telling her that he was outside had sent, he pulled down the mirror linked onto the roof of his car and checked his pearly whites. He nervously sighed as he checked over his appearance.

He glanced over at the front doors of the apartment block and smiled to himself as his eyes fell upon Kori hurrying down the steps. He sighed to himself; she looked beautiful. Of course, he always thought Kori looked beautiful but her appearance always seemed enhanced outside of work. Tonight, Kori was wearing a light turquoise baby doll dress that stopped just above her knees. She had a black cardigan covering her shoulders and black tights and flats adorning her bottom half. She made her way over to the passenger side of the car quickly.

She opened the door and slid inside. She shivered and shook her hair,

"Cold?" Dick chuckled, switching the heating on for her,

"The winter is moving in very quickly, indeed," She replied, shooting a smile in his direction. Dick nodded and smiled at her. She blushed slightly and stared back at him,

"Is... Something wrong?" She wondered,

"No... It's just... You look really nice tonight," He complimented,

"Oh," She breathed, "Thank you, Richard,"

Dick smirked and nodded. He pulled away from the apartment block and began the journey towards Wally's house. The ride was comfortably quiet for a while with the music playing lightly in the background,

"So, looking forward to the party?" Dick quizzed,

"Very much so," Kori agreed, "Except..."

"Except what, Kor...?"

"I am most nervous... I do not know anyone who will be there..."

"Of course you do. You know me, Wally, Vic and Garfield...?"

"I know but... I do not know... I simply become nervous at parties."

"It'll be fine... I promise,"

Kori gave him a fond smile. Dick nodded and chewed his lip as he considered asking her something,

"So then... Are you going to the work Christmas party?" He wondered,

"I was considering it..." She admitted,

"You have to go, Kor. I don't wanna be the only young one there with loads of old executives."

Kori brought her slim fingers to her lips as she giggled at his words. She shifted her eyes left and right to show that she was thinking about it. She sighed but smiled, "I suppose I could make an appearance." She breathed,

"It'll be great. If you want, I can make up voices for people we can't hear again..." He offered, wiggling his eyebrows.

"That would be wonderful." She said, bursting out laughing at the memory. Dick grinned in triumph; he took immense pride whenever he made her laugh.

"I wish it wasn't formal though..." Dick groaned, "I hate wearing fancy stuff."

"I believe you look nice in such clothing. You wear suits everday..." Kori shrugged,

"That's different... In a way..." Dick babbled,

Kori smirked,

"What about you? Do  _you_  like the fancy clothes?"

"Very much so. I love being able to wear long, beautiful dresses. It is so much fun!"

"You're such a kid," Dick teased. Kori lightly punched his arm,

"Age 18 does not count as a child, Richard." She replied, raising an eyebrow at him,

"Alright, alright, Anders." He chuckled. Kori beamed at her win. Dick nodded his head towards a house,

"We're here," He told her. Kori stared at Wally's house. There were people laughing and talking out on the front lawn; some on the other hand, were throwing up and passing out. Kori gulped,

"This party reminds me of high school..." Kori said quietly,

Dick faked a gasp, "Kori, you went to parties? With alcohol!?"

Kori narrowed her eyes at him playfully causing Dick to chuckle. They both exited the car and made their way inside. Kori turned to Dick, nervous of the amount of people there that she didn't know. Dick patiently smiled down at her and mouthed, 'Don't worry.'

Kori inhaled a deep breath and shyly smiled back at him. Dick led her through the crowds carefully. Kori felt a little dizzy at first. The music was pounding so loudly that she could barely hear herself think and the lights were blindingly dazzling. Also, the amount of people crammed into the house caused her to feel a little claustrophobic but she managed to get by.

Dick pulled on her hand and she appeared alongside him, before Vic, Wally and 2 girls who Kori wasn't yet familiar with. Wally threw his arms up and grinned, "Finally! You guys made it!" He exclaimed, his drink spilling ever so slightly.

"Nice turn out," Dick observed. Wally bowed to him and smirked out of pure pride,

"I know right... Try not to be jealous," Wally teased, winking,

Dick rolled his eyes, "Pft, you know I get more people at my parties. Don't even try it, West." He challenged. Wally shrugged as he chuckled.

"Nice to see you again, little lady," Vic greeted, lightly tapping her upper arm with his knuckles. Kori giggled,

"Greetings, Victor. Wally." She returned,

"I love your dress!" One of the girls piped up, "Where'd you get it?"

She stepped up to Kori with an exuberant smile. Kori instantly became mesmerized by her illuminated hair. It was bright pink with the faintest traces of black streaks running through. Before Kori could give her an answer, she turned to the other girl,

"Karen! Isn't her dress nice!?" She commented. The other girl peered closer as she joined the pink haired girls' side.

"Whoa! Yeah! It's slammin!" The other girl chimed. The second girl was African American and her hair was dark and smooth. She had brown eyes which seemed to glimmer when she smiled. Kori felt overwhelmed at their forwardness.

"Girls!" Vic chuckled, "Give the girl some breathing space!"

The two girls stepped back with apologetic smiles against their lips. "Sorry," They said in unison,

"That is... Alright..." Kori answered,

"This is my girlfriend, Karen Beecher," Vic introduced. Karen smiled and waved to Kori,

"And this sugar haired one is my girlfriend, Jenny Ashbrook." Wally laughed. Jenny smirked at his description of her hair colouring,

"Guys, this is Kori Anders. She's a friend of Dicks." Wally explained,

"Oh?" Jenny sounded,

Dick nodded. "So how'd you meet Grayson?" Karen smirked,

"I work for him," Kori told them,

"Really?" Karen voiced,

"Mhm. She's the new intern secretary," Dick agreed,

"I bet Barbra  _loves_  that." Karen sniggered. Dick made a look of disgust and rolled his eyes,

"Ugh. Don't even bring her up tonight," Wally moaned. Dick chuckled and noticed 2 familiar faces walking up to them all.

Garfield walked over with a dark girl by his side, "Hey guys!" He said enthusiastically. Dick and Kori smiled in his direction. Kori's attention was transferred to the person beside Garfield as her small voice sounded out loud,

"Kori?" the dark girl asked in disbelief,

"Rachel?" Kori sounded more upbeat. They both broke out into smiles and they met in a hug,

"Am I missing something?" Garfield wondered,

"You know each other?" Dick asked, confused,

"Kori went to the same high school as me; of course, she was a little younger but we were really close." Rachel explained. Dick nudged Kori and smirked,

"There ya go, Kor," He chuckled, "You know someone here now,"

She giggled and almost choked on her drink as Jenny squealed. A new song had begun playing and she was wiggling her hands in excitement, "Oh! I love this song!" She declared, "Ladies! Follow me to the dancefloor!"

"I don't dance. You know that." Rachel protested,

"You do tonight!" Karen interjected, grabbing Rachel's arm and pulling her to the middle of the room. Kori laughed at the sight but Jenny linked their arms together, "Oh no, Anders. You're coming too," She winked, pulling her along. Kori didn't try to struggle; she, unlike Rachel, rather enjoyed dancing.

The boys all stared after them and chuckled in amusement. Vic and Garfield then raced each other to the kitchen to see who could get to the mini hotdogs first.

Wally and Dick shook their heads at those around them, "So..." Wally said, clearing his throat,

"What?" Dick queried, sensing questions arising,

"You and Kori..."

"Wally..."

"No seriously, dude. Why haven't you asked her out or anything yet? It's painfully obvious that you like each other..."

Dick sighed, "You're right... I do like her. I like her a lot..."

"I'm not seeing the problem,"

"I've got a girlfriend... She's 4 years younger than me... She's an employee?"

"They  _still_  don't sound like problems to me," Wally shrugged,

Dick grunted in frustration,

"Dude, look... So what if she's 18? There's no crime against that,"

"I guess..."

"You can't let the whole work thing get in the way. If you like her, you like her. There's not a lot you can do."

"Mm..."

"And as for the girlfriend part... We both know you don't love Barbra... At least, not anymore. Why don't you just break up with her?"

"It's not that simple. I don't know the right way to do it... I don't wanna be a jerk when I do it or anything..."

"Sometimes... You have to be,"

"I don't know... I need to get my head sorted out..."

"Alright... Let's talk about something lighter..."

"Like?"

"Like... Look at Kori dance..."

Dick rolled his eyes but he did turn his head to look at the girls dominating the middle of the room. Dick smirked; from what he could see, Kori was the one giving the girls guidance on how to dance. Quite an exotic song was playing... It seemed understandable that Kori was the leader on it. She was as exotic as they came.

He couldn't help but stare at the way her hips swished and rolled with the beat of the song. He wasn't staring in a lustful type of way but an astonished way. She was very good at dancing and it was endearing. It was incredibly interesting to watch her move.

He smiled heartedly as he noticed the laughter escaping her mouth. He was glad that she was having a good time. He really did want to incorporate her within his life, especially with his friends. He decided that she could use some friends; from what she had told him in the past, friends weren't something she had a lot of... They always left for different reasons.

Wally smirked as he noticed the look on Dick's face as he stared at Kori. Like he said, it was plainly obvious how Dick was beginning to feel; he broadcasted it like the news. Wally chuckled at his own joke in his head.

"So, how do you know Richard?" Kori asked, as she moved her feet against the ground,

"We go way back. I've known him since I was a little kid; like the brother I never had," Rachel explained. Kori smiled. She found that really adorable.

"What about you?" Rachel returned, "How'd you know him?"

"Oh! I am... his intern secretary..."

"It's nice that you can be friends outside of work,"

"Yes... He has been very sweet since the very first day I began working at Wayne Enterprises."

Rachel smiled fondly as she noticed the faint trace of a blush against Kori's cheeks. From the way she was acting, Rachel could guess pretty accurately that Kori had begun to develop a crush on Dick. That made her happy; she and Kori had been friends for a very long time. Rachel knew all kinds of things about Kori; good and bad. She believed anything that evolved from their 'friendship' would be good for her.

Kori was completely unaware of the thoughts that were going through Rachel's' mind. She was focussed on her own thoughts. Since Rachel had brought up the topic of Richard, she had felt her stomach flutter and her heart pump harder. She accepted the fact that she had begun to develop feelings for him but she found herself in a predicament. There was nothing that she could do about how she felt. Her job would be taken from her immediately if they even attempted anything other than friendship and there was Barbra. Kori didn't think Babs was right for him; not even a tiny bit however; they  **were**  together and Kori had no intentions of causing further problems between them. She decided then and there that she would allow fate to choose her future for her, exactly.

The night ended around 4 hours later. Kori stretched her arms above her head as she wandered out of the house with Dick by her side; much like how they had looked going in the house to begin with. Dick found it strange how he hadn't experienced a single urge to down any type of alcoholic beverage tonight; maybe Kori brought out the more responsible side of him. Kori was still completely sober too. She had told him a couple weeks ago that she wasn't a very big drinker. He liked that in a girl. He liked to know that a girl had enough class to drink a little and not end up making an absolute fool of herself by the end of the night.

They both slipped into a comfortable and tired silence as Dick drove Kori back to her apartment block. Kori was the first to make conversation,

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Richard... Thank you for taking me with you," She commented, sweetly.

"No problem. I'm glad you had a good time too..." He paused, "I'm still shocked that I had a good time and I didn't touch so much as a drop of drink."

Kori giggled, "You do not need alcohol to enjoy yourself, Richard,"

He smirked, "At least I'll remember the night, huh?"

Kori mirrored his expression and nodded enthusiastically. Dick pulled up against the familiar part of the street and turned to Kori with a smile,

"Thank you again for tonight, Richard..." She said, timidly.

"It's okay. I'm glad you were with me instead of Babs."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. Usually she gets drunk and gets all angry at me for reasons I can't understand,"

"Perhaps it is not my place to ask but... Why are you in a relationship with her if you do not hold feelings for her?"

Dick sighed, "I hate break ups... No matter how I do it, I'll screw it up and cause some hate..."

Kori rested a hand on his shoulder and softly smiled in a sign of her support. He smiled back at her and was taken slightly aback when he felt her hug him,

"Goodnight, Richard. I shall see you on Monday, yes?" She checked as she pulled away from him. Dick nodded and smiled. She nodded at his confirmation and slipped out of the car, waving before she entered the building.

Dick felt slightly disheartened. The hug had been unexpected and way too short for Dick's liking. He was beginning to feel a little depressed about the situation his feelings were caught in at the moment. He didn't even know what Kori thought of him; for all he knew, she could simply like him as a friend and nothing more. Kori was one of those people who showed her emotions quite clearly and yet, they would mystify the truth behind her thoughts.

Monday morning was starting out as another super busy day. Dick wasn't exactly sure why but the workload always became a lot tougher around November/December. A lot of the time, his mind raced so much that he forgot what type of work he had to do. He had to juggle general management alongside Bruce and things such as projects and financial aspects. He sighed as he finished typing up a, in his opinion, meaningless report about the company's current progress throughout the year. He had written it the previous year and he was pretty sure he was going to continuously be roped into the tedious task.

Suddenly, the doors of his office flew open, making a bang sound as they collided with the walls. In stormed Barbra who, once again, was looking unhappy about  _something_.

He felt his heart lift ever so slightly as he eyes Kori scurrying in after her. Kori looked distressed herself as she tucked some loose hair behind her ear while glancing over at him,

"Apologies, Mr Grayson..." She began, "...She simply ran in..."

Dick gave her a calm smile which made Kori's heart melt, although she could  _never_  admit that, "It's alright Kori..." He paused and remembered the folders, "Kori, could you finish up these folder updates while I speak with Barbra, please?"

Kori nodded, "Of course," She replied, wandering over to his desk to retrieve the folders from him. Barbra allowed a sharp smirk to grace her features, "Yeah... Why don't you run along, little intern. I'm sure you'll be needed for a coffee run soon, huh?" She snickered, poison coursing through her words. Kori's politeness was beginning to crack and her patience with Barbra had begun to wear thin.

Kori turned to Barbra with a sly smirk, "Oh, I am sorry... I do not believe you informed me of your occupation, Miss Gordon?"

"I'm a waitress. So what?"

"Ah, yes..." Kori mumbled, turning back to the folders, "I can see how being a waitress is so much more superior of that of working within a multi millionaire company; even as an intern."

Barbra's mouth fell into an 'o' shape.

Dick bit his lip to fight back the smirk fighting to present itself. Kori had never used sarcasm to insult Barbra and he had to admit; it was hilarious. Kori got to the point so quickly and she made such an excellent assumption. He wanted to laugh and clap in approval but he knew that would cause more problems.

Kori flipped her hair over her shoulder as she pulled the stack of folders closer to her chest. She turned away from Dick's desk and gave Barbra a wicked smirk, "Have a good day, Miss Gordon," She bid, strolling out of the room while Barbra continued to stare, completely stunned.

As Kori closed the door, she heard Barbra begin to argue with Dick. She frowned sadly and she sighed as she sat back down at her desk. She had heard Barbra say, "I can't believe you let her talk to me like that! What kind of boyfriend-"

Kori had stopped listening then as she had clenched her fist in anger. Barbra was so vicious. She didn't understand how girls like that ended up with such charming partners.

Kori felt bad. She had simply wanted to make a point to Barbra about her occupation; she did not mean to make things utterly worse for Dick. She sighed in unhappiness; she should not have said anything at all. She tapped her fingertips against the desk in thought. She wondered if Dick would be angry at her for speaking to Barbra like that. She supposed only time would tell. She inhaled a deep breath before grabbing a black inked pen and opening the folder on the very top of the pile...


	6. Chapter 6

Dick leaned closer to the computer screen that buzzed with light before his eyes. With a tired sigh, he switched the whole thing off, content with the amount of work he had been able to get done tonight. Again, it was one of those nights that he had promised himself to stay back until he was done with what was needed to be completed. The only thing that was different about this late night and what probably made him feel a lot more sluggish was the fact that Kori had gone home about an hour before him.

Dick smiled. She had apologised to him that she couldn't stay longer; she had felt exhausted. He had waved her off immediately. The girl worked her fingers to the bone and she was only an intern. He knew she was destined to go far with whatever career path she chose. He was slightly unhappy with Kori not there. She usually came in to him when he worked longer and she would make a smile form upon his lips. Her giggle would make his ears perk up instantly and her voice would keep them talking for hours. He sighed once more and switched off the light with his elbow. He made his way down to the car park and slid into the driver's seat of his flashy car; perks of being the adopted son of a billionaire.

He rubbed his eyes as he stared at the road ahead of him. He had taken the long way home to his apartment; he had been doing that a lot lately. He guessed it was because longer drives helped him to clear his mind.

As Dick waited for the traffic lights to turn green, he let his eyes wander across his surroundings. There were a couple mini stores on this route home; they consisted of liquor, small treats and general convenience store products. He realised something in that moment. While scanning his surroundings, he realised Kori's apartment block was just past the trees. He strained his eyes and they immediately widened.

Thick, black smoke was wafting into the air from said direction. He couldn't be certain that it was Kori's building but he was pretty convinced that it was. He stamped on the acceleration pedal and struck other parts of the car and he spun himself around so that he was driving towards Kori's block. His mind raced and his heart thumped in his chest.

As he drove closer, his fears were confirmed that it was Kori's building. Bright flames blazed against the structure and small floating embers descended into the bitter night air.

As he pulled up and got out of the car, he squinted his eyes in an attempt to locate the adorable red head he had grown so very fond of. It was completely hopeless. There was a big crowd that had gathered outside of the building which he could only assume to be the residence of the building. He bit his lip as he stared at the slowly deteriorating building, stunned. His heart was bouncing all around his ribcage. He was so scared that Kori was inside or she was stuck or-

His thoughts stopped and relief rushed his senses as he spotted a petite girl with long red hair. Her hair was slightly wispy now and it had patches of black against it due to the intense smoke. She had a light coloured blanket wrapped around her shoulders and she was holding a box of things. She was staring up at her former home with despair written all across her face. Dick sighed and walked closer, "Kori?" He called, concern evident in his tone,

Kori turned quickly to find the source of the voice. Her eyes softened and she gasped, "Richard!" She replied, running over to him. Dick wrapped his arms around her instantly, without a single thought in the world. He was just  _so_  glad that she wasn't harmed.

Kori rubbed her face against his chest. He was warm and he smelled so very sweet; at that particular moment, she knew anything would smell better than the continuous scent of smoke and fire that was filling her nostrils. He pulled her back and stared at her, his expression soft. He didn't let go of her shoulders as his eyes melded with hers, "Kor... Are you okay?" He asked,

Kori nodded, "I am undamaged..." She said, quietly, "What are you doing here?"

"I was driving home and I saw the smoke. I was worried that something had happened to you," He admitted. Kori blushed but smiled nonetheless; her heart swelled at his show of concern for her well being.

"What happened?" He queried, bewilderment evident in his voice,

Kori shook her head furiously, "I returned from work and I could vaguely smell the horrible stench of smoke. The apartment beside mine had gone up in flames. Everyone was evacuated and..." She trailed off as she felt herself cracking. She had become so overwhelmed and she felt like she was going to break down crying any second.

Dick sensed this and brought her into his arms again. He stroked her hair and shushed her. Kori broke then and she cried against his chest. As the tears fell, Dick's arms tightened around her, "It's alright, Kor... Everything's gonna be fine," He reassured, "I promise,"

Kori inhaled a shaky breath and pulled back from him. He patiently smiled down at her. Her makeup had run from her eyes and her nose had become red and ever so; Dick still thought she looked stunning.

"Did you lose any stuff? Any important stuff?" Dick wondered, eyeing her box of things,

"Thankfully, no. I was given the majority of my clothing but a lot of my photographs were burned and untraceable. My electronics overheated except for my laptop..." She explained but she sighed and her voice began to tremble again, "Oh..."

Dick gripped her shoulders a little tighter to give her support, "It'll be okay." He nodded. Kori gave him a watery smile. She shrugged and sighed as she stared her box of belongings,

"Thank you for checking that I was the okay, Richard but... I believe I must begin looking for somewhere to stay the night until I am able to move back into my apartment." She explained. She gave him a small smile and began to stroll off towards the main part of town,

"Kori? Wait..." He instructed, joining her side once again,

"Yes, Richard?" She replied,

"Well... Feel free to say no but... I was wondering if you would... maybe like to stay at my place tonight?"

"Oh... I do not know, Richard. Would that not be considered highly inappropriate?"

"Not really. We're friends right? I just wanna help any way that I can and I'd much prefer a good friend to stay at mine instead of a crappy hotel where you'd have to pay stupid prices."

Kori giggled,

"So? What'd you say?" He urged,

"You are certain that I would not be a burden on you?"

"Kor, you know me... You know I wouldn't offer if I didn't want you to."

Kori smiled, "Then... Yes please, Richard. I would like to stay with you, very much..." Kori answered, bashfully. Dick grinned and nodded.

"Good! Should we go then? I know you said you were tired and no doubt this whole thing has made you even more tired?" Dick assumed. Kori sleepily nodded and walked by his side back to his car. Kori made an unusual noise when she slipped in beside Dick. He smirked; he remembered he had put the heating on. The sudden temperature change must've made Kori a lot cheerier.

"Um... Richard?" She mumbled,

"Yeah?"

"Could I perhaps... Use your shower when we get to your apartment? I smell terribly of smoke..."

"Of course, Kori. You don't need to ask,"

Kori softly smiled at him. She felt her heart pound. He was so very kind. She was really beginning to fall for all of these quality traits of his. Kori was far from having a mind of a child so she knew these  _feelings_  were typically 'wrong' but she couldn't help but feel happy when she thought of him. Surely something that made her so cheery would be considered a good thing?

Dick cruised along the road with Kori just barely staying awake. Dick tried to hurry to get home. Speaking of, Dick had no idea where his invitation for her to stay with him had come from but god was he glad it came out of his mouth. Although he was excited for her to stay with him for a while, he also knew that he was treading on very thin ice. If Barbra found out that he was allowing Kori to crash at his, she'd hit the roof. He was going to have to be extra careful about that and he intended to talk to Kori about it also.

He pulled into the car park just outside his own apartment block. Of course, being Dick Grayson and all, the penthouse belonged to him. He sighed as he switched the engiene off.

He glanced over at Kori and he smirked at her sleeping form. She was so cute when she did the smallest things. He noticed how she'd bite her lip while sleeping just like she did when she was concentrating on work.

Dick carefully leaned closer to her and gently shook her by the shoulder, "Kori? Kori?" He whispered, trying to be as tender with her as possible. She stirred slightly before gradually allowing her eyes to flutter. She yawned as she became more aware of her surroundings,

"Richard?" She asked, tiredly,

"We're at mine," He told her, the soft smile never leaving his face. Kori nodded and unbuckled herself from the seat. As Kori got out of the passengers side, Dick was already walking around to her. Kori raised an eyebrow at him,

"Here, I'll carry your stuff for you," He offered,

"Oh... Thank you," Kori beamed.  _So very sweet, indeed._

Dick shrugged and took the box from her. Together, they travelled in through the main doors and wandered over to the elevator. They waited for a minimum of a minute before the elevator dinged and the doors opened for them.

As the delicate elevator music echoed in the confined space, Kori nudged Dick in the arm, "Your apartment block is so... Fancy!" She laughed,

"Prince of Gotham, remember?" He joked, giving her a wink. Kori smirked and rolled her eyes at him. They reached the top floor and Kori giggled,

"Oh I should have guessed you would be the owner of the penthouse." Kori chirped, smirking,

"I'm hurt that you wouldn't have guessed," He teased. They both laughed in unison as Dick opened the door to the penthouse. He motioned for Kori to go in before him which she nodded and blushed before doing so. Dick smirked as he heard Kori giggle.

Kori's eyes widened in amazement. Even calling the place a penthouse seemed like a huge understatement. There was a very impressive colour scheme running throughout the place consisting of gold, white and black. There was an enormous TV which by the look of it was a projection device. Her eyes fell upon the white 'all-around' sofa that was situated right in front of the unbelievable TV and she gazed at the kitchen counters which were covered with speckled marble; there was even a small island in the middle with 3 high chairs. Kori had personally always wanted something like that; perhaps she would attempt to redecorate once her apartment was rebuilt. She turned around and was once again awestruck as she glanced upwards. There were 2 bedrooms overlooking the downstairs portion. Kori smiled as she stared directly upwards; there were chandeliers and spotlights adorning the very high ceiling. She almost forgot to breathe.

Dick chuckled as he set her box of things down on the sofa and turned to her, "You like it?" He queried,

"Richard... This is truly where you live?" Kori quizzed, earning a nod from him, "This is practically a mansion. It is so large and impressive..."

Kori snapped out of it as Dick clicked the kettle to boil it, "Want some coffee?" He offered,

Kori smiled, "Oh, yes please."

"Wait... Would you like to shower first?"

Kori smelled her clothing and made a look of disgust, "I believe that would be best."

With that in mind, Kori stood idly for a moment, looking shy. Dick sensed this and smiled, "It's that door over there. Towels are in the closet. You can throw your clothes in the hamper and they'll get cleaned," Dick informed her. Kori nodded and smiled at him softly,

"Thank you again, Richard..." She said, lingering on his name. Their eyes locked for a moment before Kori gave into a blush and slipped into the bathroom.

Dick sighed once she had gone. His brain was all over the place with thoughts. One part of his mind was telling him that he shouldn't let Kori stay with him. Barbra would become so angry even if he was simply being an innocent, helpful friend to Kori; she'd always find something wrong with a good deed when it involved another female.

On the other hand, his mind was also telling him to go with what was happening. Everything happens for a reason, right? Maybe this whole situation had a deeper meaning. As cheesy as he believed it was, he had to admit that he believed ever so slightly in the idea of fate. He sipped his coffee and ran a hand through his dark locks.

Dick tilted his head to the side to release some of the soreness he had endured for a couple hours now. He always seemed to get pain in his neck or back after a day at work; it had almost become an absolute tradition. He shrugged it off and placed his coffee down for the moment before travelling up to his half floor, withholding his bedroom.

He grabbed a black wife beater and some grey lounge pants. Usually, he would tend to sleep in his underwear but he felt that would be really inappropriate whilst Kori was staying with him. When he came back down, he practically froze on the spot. Kori was definitely done showering.

He stared at her form as she peered through her box of remaining items. Her back was facing him and he was fairly sure that he was drooling. She was so striking. The white towel was carefully and tightly pulled around her shape but it came up kind of short against a girl of Kori's height. The towel stopped above her knee and it dropped slightly on her back, revealing her tanned and glistening skin to him. Her hair was damp and was pulled to the side.

Dick wasn't really sure how to react. He knew his face was slowly fading into a bright red hue and he wanted to stop staring but he simply couldn't. Her arms and legs were completely on show and she was in nothing but a towel. It didn't take a genius to work out how a young man's mind would work with that.

He gulped as Kori turned around and she her expression was soft as she smiled. She blushed too as she realised why he was staring, "Apologies, I-" Kori was cut off by a simple smile from Dick,

"Don't sweat it,"  _Thank god, I didn't stutter,_

"Um... Would I perhaps be able to change somewhere, please?" Kori asked, politely,

"Sure. You see that room up there?" He directed, pointing to the room higher up which was directly opposite his own,

Kori nodded,

"You can change there. That's where you'll be staying,"

"Oh, I am truly the okay with the sofa-"

Dick chuckled, "Kori... I've got a spare room and you're saying you'll stay on the sofa? Don't be stupid,"

Kori softly smiled and her blush intensified, "Th-Thank you..." She stumbled over her words as her nerves chewed at her. Dick felt a little pride run through him as he realised he had made her nervous.  _It was usually the other way around, in his opinion._

Kori grabbed her pyjama bottoms and Dick turned to retrieve his coffee. He heard Kori sigh and mutter something about her shirt.

"Everything okay?" He queried, wandering over to her,

Kori rubbed her index and middle fingers against her temple and she gave into another frustrated sigh, "My sleep shirt..." She paused to show him what she meant, "It is... ruined..."

Dick inspected her shirt. She was beyond right; the shirt was a simple vest top but it had blackened and there were burn marks and holes in different parts, not to mention the shredded edges, "That's definitely burnt, huh?" He joked,

"I do not have any other shirts for sleeping..." She paused and thought, "Unless I simply use a work shirt... Hmm..."

Dick shook his head and placed a gentle hand against her upper arm. There was a flinch of electricity that ignited Kori's senses as his skin touched hers. She remained grounded and tried not to show like it meant a single thing to her,

"Kor, you can use one of my shirts." He told her,

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly-"

"Kori." Dick gave her a look, "What'd I tell you about my place while you're staying here?"

"To... Treat it like my own..." Kori answered. She giggled and pushed some of her hair behind her ear,

"I'll be right back," Dick informed her, before running back up the stairs leading to his bedroom. He wondered what type of shirt she'd want so he randomly grabbed a shirt that was a little small on him but he knew it'd be big on Kori.

When he returned to her, Kori was at the kitchen counter, sipping his coffee. He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her,

She giggled, "You did tell me to treat the place as I would my own..." She teased, placing his cup down. Dick playfully poked her stomach and handed her the shirt. She smiled and briefly let her eyes meld with his,

"Thank you..." She said in a hushed type of tone, "I shall return momentarily."

Dick nodded and watched her go. He smiled to himself as he felt the tingle of small butterflies return to his stomach. He sighed in content as he flopped against the sofa and switched the TV on.

20 minutes passed and Dick had begun to grow slightly worried that Kori hadn't come back out yet. Wishing to act on his concerns, he abandoned the TV and made his way up to the spare room. He lifted a fist to the door with the aim of knocking but he stopped short when he heard small sniffling noises. His expression turned sad for her; he understood that the night had probably taken a huge toll on her.

He softly rapped his fist against the door and quietly spoke through the door, "Kori? You okay?"

Not hearing a reply, he hesitantly opened the door and peered inside. Like he had predicted, Kori was sitting on the edge of the bed, hunched over and facing downwards. She sniffled and he could hear the little whining noise she made before releasing more tears.

Kori gulped back a sob as she felt a soft, warm hand gently stroke her back. She slowly turned her head and she felt immediate burning against her cheeks as she gazed at Dick, who was sadly smiling at her,

"I... I am sorry... I am being... Quite foolish and I-" She hiccupped,

"Kori. Don't apologise for being upset. You have every right to cry right now," He whispered, brushing some stray tears away with his thumb.

Her lip quivered and she began to break down. She was brought into a close hug by Dick who rested his chin on the top of her head, "It'll be okay, Kor... I promise," He vowed,

"I... I feel so very... overwhelmed and... Upset... Oh..." She cried, scrunching his shirt as she clung to him. He suddenly smiled and pulled her back to stare into her big green orbs,

"I know something that might cheer you up," He suggested,

"Wh-What?"

"Well, Miss Anders... I have 2 tubs of ice-cream in the freezer and I think it just so happens that I have the channel that shows the reality shows you love so much. Any of that interest you?"

Kori shyly giggled and nodded, "But... You hate the reality television shows; I remember that you told me..."

"But you like them, so I'll gladly watch them; as long as it makes you feel better,"

Kori smiled and embraced him once more. He chuckled and rubbed her back comfortingly. She blushed against his shoulder; he was so lovely and caring.

Standing up, Dick pulled Kori up too. He felt accomplished at how he made her stop crying and how he had succeeded in cheering her up. They made their way downstairs and they participated in exactly what Dick had said. They ate ice-cream and watched 3 episodes of a particular housewife reality show that Kori seemed to be captivated by.

Dick was beginning to drift off to sleep when he heard a small snore escape from Kori who was lying beside him. Dick ran a hand over his face, tiredly and looked down at her. He hadn't even noticed that she'd fallen asleep. She made such adorable noises while she slept which caused Dick to smirk a lot.

With a heavy sigh, he gently shook her awake. She sat up with a start, "Huh? What is..." She trailed off as her sleepy eyes focused on Dick. He smiled patiently at her and watched while she yawned.

Dick gulped. As strange to notice as it was, he couldn't help but think how beautifully alluring she looked when she was half asleep; her lips perfectly pursed and her eyes clouded. She gently rubbed her eyes and leaned away from him. She tiredly smiled at him, "I apologize for falling asleep, Richard. I must be more tired than I thought..." She surmised.

Dick chuckled, "No worries, Kori. Why don't you go to bed? I can clean up here," He suggested,

Kori glanced around before staring up at him, "Are you certain? I could stay and-"

"Fall asleep on the trash?" He smirked, causing a clear blush to rise upon her cheeks, "It's fine, Kor. Go get some sleep."

Kori softly smiled and nodded obediently, "Thank you Richard... Truly..." She whispered,

"You don't have to keep thanking me for stuff, Kor. You're my friend and right now you're a friend in need. I'll help any way I can. Okay?" He explained, briefly touching her arm,

Kori's eyes shone as she let her orbs blend with his crystals. She nodded and bid him goodnight. Dick watched her go up the stairs and wander into the spare room.

He sighed in simple bliss. He felt really happy that Kori was staying with him for a little while. He couldn't deny that he had developed feelings for her. Of course, he wasn't supposed to feel anything for anyone else as he had a girlfriend but he couldn't help himself. The relationship between him and Barbra was practically nonexistent however; there was a spark between him and Kori, as if they just... clicked. It was simple.

A yawn crept upon him and he shrugged off the cleaning duties so he could retire to his big, comfy bed for the night.

At first, the following couple days at work were a little strange. Dick found it odd how he would see Kori in the morning and share breakfast with her and then about an hour later, they had to act like work colleagues and nothing further. They were both good actors though, neither of them acted remotely similar to how they did at Dick's place.

Probably the strangest type of thing to happen in the mornings was when Dick got into his car and waved goodbye to Kori. She had explained to him that it would seem unprofessional to carpool with him as it would raise questions. Kori also wanted to keep the idea of her living with Dick very quiet. She knew many different situations would arise if anyone found out about where she was staying.

People would immediately think the worst and make deliberate and inaccurate assumptions about the two of them.

Kori would smile a lot throughout the work days after a week of living with Dick. Her feelings for him would grow each day as they worked together but she also enjoyed their general friendly behaviour with one another at Dick's place. Her heart sped up and a smile would immediately be poised on her lips when he entered a room or flashed her a smile or said her name. Her maturity level was clearly slipping; she was acting like a loved up school girl.

Although Kori's feelings for Richard had increased significantly, she was angry too. She was angry at the fact that nothing could happen between them even if they both wanted it. Barbra and Bruce were the holes in her ideas. Barbra was still Dick's girlfriend and Kori so very wanted him to simply break up with her and move on... preferably to her. As for Bruce; he got in the way because she would be fired instantly if he found out anything romantic had evolved between the two of them.

Kori sighed in content as she kicked off her shoes when she got into Dick's place. Dick stretched his arms above his head as he kicked the front door shut, "Ugh... Today was stressful." Dick complained, falling onto the sofa and leaning his head back. Kori matched his groans and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder,

"Indeed. Today was very busy with calls and reports, yes?" She agreed, squeezing his shoulder while he nodded.

"Mm... Do that again, Kor."

"What? This?" Kori asked, squeezing his shoulder again,

"Mm..." Dick moaned, enjoying the hindrance of a massage.

"If you would like, I could give you the shoulder massage? I once took a class on becoming a masseuse." Kori offered,

Dick didn't hesitate on removing his jacket, tie and shirt. Kori felt a strong flutter within her stomach at the sight of him shirtless. He skin was pale but that simply made her notice his perfect form more. His abdomen looked strong and muscular. His arms weren't overly big but they were enough to make Kori admire him. She blushed furiously as her hand took up placement against his now bare shoulder.

"This... doesn't make you feel uncomfortable or anything, right?" Dick asked, unsure of his actions,

"No! Uh... No of course not, Richard." Kori laughed, nervously. She darted around the side of the sofa so she could sit on her knees, behind him. She allowed her fingers to dance across his spine and his toned back as she rubbed and squeezed particular parts of his back with care.

Dick had become drowsy before Kori completely stopped. Dick cleared his throat and turned to her with a calm smile, "Oh!" He murmured in ecstasy, "Where did you learn to do that?"

Kori shrugged and giggled, "High school. There were external classes and at the time... I was very unsure of what I wished to do in life." She explained,

"Well, I'd definitely say you pass with flying colours." He praised. Kori giggled and although neither of them had planned in shifting, they had become slightly closer together.

There was a sudden silence as they both stared at each other. It wasn't awkward but there was intensity in the air that neither could figure out. Their eyes would flicker to one another's lips but look away just as quickly.  
Both of them began to sub consciously lean forward. Dick's mind raced.  _We're gonna kiss!_ Dick thought.

However, fate had other ideas. Just as Dick was ready to speed his pace up, there was a few knocks on the front door.

Both sprang away from each other with a charge of energy that they didn't realise they had. Kori abruptly stood up and brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

Dick was quick to get up so that he could look out the small hole in the door. He almost completely froze over.  _Barbra_

Barbra was literally standing on the other side of the door with her arms folded, patiently waiting for her boyfriend to open the door. Dick gulped and frantically turned to Kori who had a concerned expression fixed to her face,

"It's Barbra!" Dick told her in a quiet tone so that Babs wouldn't hear him. Kori's eyes widened and she straightened up,

"What must I do?" She replied, evening the low voices,

"Hide... Uh... Upstairs!" Dick instructed. Kori nodded and immediately ran up the stairs and sat against the door of the spare room. She didn't exactly want to go inside of the room; she wanted to hear what they were talking about; as bad as it was for her to do so.

Dick inhaled a deep breath and opened the door, "Hey Babs," He greeted,

Barbra turned and her eyes glistened with passion, "Hello shirtless." She laughed, "What're you doing?"

"I... I was about to get changed... That's why I took so long... I was upstairs." He lied,

"I did wonder," She smiled,

"Did... Did you wanna come in?"

"Mm... I shouldn't. I came to tell you that I'm not gonna be in Gotham over Christmas and New Years."

 _Interesting_  "Oh? Why not?"

"I'm going to Steel City so spend Christmas and New Years with some relatives."

"Oh..."

"Wow, try not to sound too distraught," She deadpanned,

"No... I'm just shocked... You're always here for Christmas and New Year's..."

Barbra smiled and made an affectionate noise, "Aw, I know you'll miss me lots but don't worry. I'll get back as soon as I can."

Dick faked the loving response, "Good." He forced a smile,

"Well, I guess I'll see you after the holidays then," She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Dick automatically placed his hands on her hips.

"Are you leaving today...?"

"Early tomorrow so I gotta pack tonight." She shrugged. Dick nodded.

"Now... Give me a kiss so I won't forget about you," She winked. Dick faked a chuckle and allowed her to press her lips to his. Barbra wasn't shy about exploring his mouth with her tongue. Dick counted the seconds in his head and wondered how long he would have to endure it.  _Yes, he wanted to break up with her but he didn't think it would be the greatest time to do it then and there. No, he'd wait until her return._

Barbra pulled away and her lips were rosy, "Bye, Dick," She mumbled, stepping away from him and opening the door. Dick walked over to the door and waved to her as she left.

After she was out of sight, Dick closed the door and leaned his back against it with his eyes closed. When he opened them, his heart pounded.

Kori leaned against the sofa and looked up at him with a calm smile, "The trip should be nice for Barbra," She commented, a flicker of something untraceable in her emerald eyes,

"Yeah... Wait, were you listening?" He asked, smirking,

"No! Well... I had not planned to but... my hearing is apparently better than I thought," She giggled, nervously,

"Tsk, tsk, Kori." He chuckled. Kori poked her tongue out playfully and giggled,

"Richard, would you like some of the hot chocolate?" Kori queried,

"You know me so well," He chuckled, walking with her towards the kitchen,

"It would seem so," Kori breathed, grabbing two cups for their beverages.

As Kori began making the drinks, Dick couldn't help but stare at her form. In his eyes, she was so very  _perfect_. He knew he shouldn't think of her in such away but it was difficult not to. She and Dick just got along from day one and he knew he could trust her and so, the bond between them was very strong. It was those types of feelings where, when he would close his eyes, Kori would come to his thoughts straight away. It wasn't just physical attraction that made him think of Kori so very often. She was smart, sweet, caring and genuinely adorable. His morals were slowly cracking and at that particular moment, he was desperate to kiss her although, he did well to resist as she handed him a cup of hot chocolate. Dick attempted to shake the thoughts away as they wandered over to the sofa to watch some TV. He sat and gulped as he realised just  _how_  deep his feelings for Kori ran...


	7. Chapter 7

Dick grunted in frustration as he stared at himself in the full length mirror. He could never be content with his attire for anything and when it came to wearing fancy clothing; his irritation meter was at maximum. The shirt and bow tie made him feel claustrophobic, not to mention the fact that he couldn't, for the life of him, successfully do a bow tie. In complete honesty, he had so much trouble doing up a bow tie that he once had to research it online and even then, he failed miserably at it.

Biting his lip, he tried tying the bow tie for a 6th time in less than 10 minutes. His heart pumped harder as he almost had it but it fell apart at the last moment. He let out a loud groan in annoyance.

Suddenly, Kori appeared in the mirror as she leaned against the frame in a bathrobe. Dick tried averting his eyes but to no avail, he glanced at her long shapely legs and his eyes scanned upwards until they rested upon her angel like face.

"Are you alright, Richard?" She asked, taking a couple of steps into the room,

"Yeah..." He hesitated, "No. I hate bow ties and it's making me go insane!"

Kori giggled and wandered closer to him. She gently pulled on his arm to make him turn towards her. Her fingers delicately began straightening out the bow tie before beginning to tie it the  _right_  way.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready too?" Dick queried, not bothering to stop himself from staring at the robe around her body.

Kori shrugged, "Not just yet... You are expected to be there earlier than I; Bruce asked that of you." Kori paused, "And we also agreed not to do the carpooling to the venue together... I certainly have more time than you,"

Dick nodded slowly but thought of something, "Oh! Speaking of that, are you sure you don't wanna ride with me? I don't know if I feel comfortable with you getting a taxi. The drivers can be complete perverts, y'know."

"Thank you for your concern, Richard but I am a big girl; I am certain that I can handle myself," She laughed. Dick blushed slightly, realising that he had fallen into revealing his concern for her well being. Hopefully, Kori didn't dwell on it too much.

"Besides... We agreed that it would look very conspicuous; not to mention unprofessional, yes?" Kori continued,

"I guess..." Dick mumbled, still a little unhappy that he couldn't take her with him. Dick carefully shifted his eyes towards the mirror so he could examine Kori's in progress handiwork. He smirked,

"You're good at tying the bow tie, y'know..." He complimented,

Kori smiled, almost sadly, "Thank you..." Her eyes became briefly dull as she spoke, "... I used to tie my father's bow ties when I lived with them..."

Dick opened his mouth to apologise but Kori patted his chest, "Finished!" She chirped, smiling proudly. Dick fully turned his body so that he was fully facing the mirror. He grinned as she gently tugged on the sleeves of his blazer.

"Looks awesome, Kor! Thanks." He appreciated, earning a courteous nod from the red head.

Dick sighed as he chanced a look at the clock. He wandered around his room, picking up his ID, invitation, keys and his phone. He softly smiled at Kori and placed both hands on her shoulders, "Alright, Anders. I gotta get going." He informed her, "See you in a while,"

"Of course, Richard; I shall see you again shortly." She beamed. Dick released her shoulders and shrugged on his coat. Winter was  _not_  being kind to any of the citizens of Gotham this year. He quickly checked his reflection in the mirror by the front door and nodded to himself. He snapped his fingers and turned back to Kori who was watching him,

"Oh Kor, don't forget to-" He was cut off,

"Lock the front door once I leave; I know," She giggled,

Dick rolled his eyes at her and grinned, "Hurry up and get ready, slacker." He joked,

"You must get going before the gel in your hair evaporates, Richard," Kori countered with a playful smirk,

Dick had to double take to check that it was indeed Kori who had said such a quick remark, "Oh, you win this time, Anders." He chuckled. She waved to him as he finally bid her farewell and left.

Dick had developed a headache almost straight away, from the moment he met up with Bruce an hour ago before the work Christmas party even began. Bruce hadn't even wanted him for a particular reason; he wanted to remind him to stay almost sober, at least throughout the night. Dick had argued and told him that he was no longer a kid to which Bruce replied that he could be a little, "Careless," when he lost his grip on himself at events with alcoholic beverages. Now, here he was, sipping some of his white wine whilst stitching a sour expression against his face. He just wanted to see one person. It was all he needed for his mood to change however; she had yet to make an appearance. The party was well on its way and he wondered if anything had happened to Kori. He was about to whip out his phone but he heard a certain angelic voice from behind him which caused him to smile immediately, "Richard?" She wondered,

Dick expected her to look beautiful,  _she always did_  yet he didn't expect to actually lose his breath at the sight of her. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open ever so slightly,

She stood up straight in her delicate midnight coloured heels which showed off her slim ankles and legs. Speaking of her legs, they were on perfect display too. Kori was wearing a strapless dark blue dress which was brought in at the waist. The bottom half flowed to the floor but the front was much shorter than the back, revealing her luscious legs to anyone who looked at her. The dress was textured and was slightly crossed over with material over her chest. Her neck was adorned with a black and silver type of choker. On her delicate wrists, she wore a mix of thin black and silver bangles. Her hair was unlike how she wore it on a usual work day; it was down and had been straightened completely, giving her a very alluring aura. Her makeup was quite natural looking with the exception of a little bit of dark makeup used to bring out the bright colouring within her eyes. She looked  _absolutely stunning._  She was dressed perfectly for a cross between sexy and elegant.

Dick forced himself to meet her eyes as her light giggle sounded aloud again, "Please... I look... Nice?" She asked, rubbing her arm in a self conscious manner. Dick got to his feet and rubbed his neck while a harsh blush began to seep across his pale face,

"Kor you look..." He paused, "You look amazing..."

Kori turned red immediately as he held serious eye contact with her. She didn't mind being complimented by Dick; on the contrary, she welcomed it yet she felt uneasy with the idea of Dick giving her such comments while having a girlfriend.  _Then again, Kori wasn't about to tell Dick to stop._

"Thank you, Richa- Mr Grayson...?" She hesitated, not sure on what persona to give him considering their surroundings. Dick chewed his lip slightly and slowly tilted his head from side to side in thought. He shrugged, "I don't see why you calling me by my name would be a problem tonight," He assumed. Kori nodded and smiled up at him.

They both suddenly turned at the sound of a glass being tapped to gain attention. Dick rolled his eyes and whispered a groan as he saw Bruce standing at the front of the room with a phony smile against his lips. Dick received a light smack on the arm from Kori, telling him to behave. Dick mentally chuckled to himself. He really enjoyed the fact that they were close enough friends to be able to act that way with one another.

Kori living with him turned out to be one of the best decisions he'd ever made; even if it was temporary. Kori was so sweet and kind and she was so very appreciated by Dick who had begun to love coming home because Kori would usually be there waiting for him. She had started to become a lot more comfortable around the place which made Dick happier, knowing that she was becoming settled. Where their work times differed, Kori would normally leave and would get back to his a couple of hours before him. On most days, he would come home to Kori lying upside down on the sofa with the TV on and being surrounded by takeout menus. She asked the same question each time this happened, "What do you feel in the mood for tonight, Richard?" She'd call. Dick would chuckle and join her on the sofa to decide.  _That... That he was perhaps loving the most..._

A nudge from Kori brought him back to reality. Everyone was clapping and he realised then that he must have spaced out while Bruce was giving his speech. Kori smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. He gave her a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck as the clapping ceased and people began making small talk with one another again.

"So... What were you thinking about?" Kori wondered as they took a stroll through the gardens of Wayne Manor. Bruce always held the Christmas party at the manor; he felt it was necessary. Dick never asked why because truthfully, he didn't care.

"Uh... Not a lot... His speeches always bore me." Dick chukled, hoping that would be enough to stem her questions. She giggled and nodded; apparently satisfied.

"Oh!" She breathed, bounding over to a particular rose bush. The roses were crisp and they smelled wonderful; their red colouring was so very eye catching. Roses had always been Kori's favourite flower; ever since she was a little girl.

"Oh... They are so beautiful..." She said, just above a whisper. Dick pushed his hands within his trouser pockets and smiled softly. He wandered over to her and glanced from the roses to her,

"You like the roses?" Dick assumed, smirking,

"They are my favourite flower type..." Kori answered, absentmindedly, "They are beautiful..."

Kori paused and she giggled as she spun around slowly with her arms extended like a little kid, "Actually... This whole property is simply breath taking!" She exclaimed,

Dick shrugged, "It's okay... I guess,"

"Okay?"

"Well, I lived here most of my life; I'm just used to the place I suppose."

Kori nodded as she listened to his words. She beamed up at him suddenly before jumping in front of him with her hands clasped together, "You know, Richard... You should purchase roses to plant on the balcony of your penthouse." She suggested. Dick chuckled and stepped closer to her as the playfulness began to unravel before them,

"Oh really?" He smirked,

"Mhm... It would make the outside look very pretty,"

"And who would look after the plants, Kori?"

"I would!"

"Oh would you?" His voice began lower as he became physically lower so that his face levelled Kori's.

"Of course," Kori mumbled, giggling incoherently.

Their smirks and giggles subsided for a moment as their eyes connected with one another's. The gaze felt intense and their breathing became somewhat shallower. Kori quietly gulped as she noticed Dick flicker his eyes to the direction of her lips.

In a split second, Dick's lips were attached to her own. Her eyes widened in surprise and while she didn't pull away, she did not kiss him back either. The feeling was odd for her. This  **was**  what she wanted, it really was but... She never imagined it to happen in such a way.

Kori made a small noise and gently pushed Dick away. The warmth of his lips against hers vanished and she covered her mouth. They both panted and stared at each other with all types of emotions presenting themselves. Kori's eyes were still wide as she focussed on Dick. She wasn't very sure what she should do. She didn't want to yell but she didn't want to make it seem acceptable either.

"I... Th- That was wrong, Richard..." She said, quietly. In her heart, she knew it was wrong. He had ties which didn't allow him to do what he just did. Dick gulped and attempted to take her hand which she immediately retracted,

"Please... Kor, I-" He was cut off suddenly as a large man with white hair slapped a hand down on his shoulder,

"Dick, my boy!" He hollered,

"Mr Boveret... How great to see you," Dick lied; really, he just wanted to speak to Kori about the kiss. He felt like it was partly impulse but... he  _did_  want to do it...

"I need to talk numbers with you, lad." Mr Boveret explained, before eyeing Kori and giving her a friendly smile, "You don't mind if I take him off your hands for a little bit, do you beautiful?"

Kori faked a smiled, "No, of course not. Take him for as long as you need to..." She replied, slightly bowing. The elder gentleman and Dick began to walk up the small concrete steps. Dick threw glances back at Kori countless times as he moved. He desperately wanted to talk to Kori and explain his feelings to her.

Dick sighed and continued the journey back into the manor with Mr Boveret. There, he took a seat at one of the neatly decorated tables and noticed Bruce sitting opposite him. He also scanned the table and recognised 3 other men who he learned were business associates. Quentin Boveret clapped his hands together and fixed a wide grin across his face, "Alright gentlemen," He started, "Let's talk business."

Dick stayed pretty quiet throughout the discussion. All they talked about was budgeting and deals which bored him to no end. All  _he_  could think about was Kori. He felt terrible about kissing her. He truly wanted to do it. He didn't regret it at all but he did feel guilty for springing it on Kori with no hint of explanation; he wasn't even  _that_  drunk so he could hardly use that as an excuse either. He sighed. He was pretty sure that Kori was pissed off and upset with him; he just wanted to get out of the place so that he could find her and apologise.

After all of the business associates, including Mr Boveret, had disbanded from the table, he had aimed to get away immediately but a certain male stopped him.  
Bruce placed a heavy hand against Dick's shoulder, "Dick." He mumbled, "Is everything alright? You hardly spoke back there."

"I'm fine. That was just... Really random and unexpected. You should have told me they wanted to discuss things tonight."

"I didn't think it'd be a big deal for you to simply talk about the company?"

"It's not... I'm just... I have a headache."

"Mm... Go and get some water; maybe take a walk outside."

Dick nodded and glided past his adopted father. Dick checked every single room which took him a large chunk of time considering the size of the manor. He tried calling Kori 8 times but she didn't pick up once, nor did she reply to the 3 texts he sent her.

He leaned his back against the wall in the hallway of the second floor. He closed his eyes and rolled his head back so it was too, against the wall. His breathing was deep and deafening, to him at least. Suddenly, he heard whistling from someone who was apparently walking down the corridor. He slowly opened his eyes to look at the mystery person. At first, his head spun and he was temporarily blinded; okay, maybe he was a little drunk after all.

His eyes fell upon Alfred who appeared briskly beside him a moment later. He cleared his throat before straightening his posture, "Master Dick, are you quite alright?" He asked,

"Huh? Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine Al..." He paused as a thought lingered in his mind, "Uh... Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Dick?"

"Have you seen a woman tonight?"

"I do not know if you are aware but there are many females in the manor tonight..."

"You're funnier than you let on..." Dick mocked, "Anyway. She had long red hair and green eyes. Really tanned and looked about 18?"

"Are you referring to Miss Kori, Master Dick?"

Dick raised an eyebrow, "How do  _you_  know her?"

"Who do you think helped Master Bruce find a suitable work colleague for you?"

Dick chuckled, "Have you seen her?"

"Yes, I have actually. I believe she left the party approximately 40 minutes ago."

"She left?" Dick queried, "Did she say anything when she left?"

"Nothing that I can recall, sir."

Dick was silent for a moment, "Thanks. I'll catch you later."

"Are you leaving, master Dick?"

"Yeah, I-"

Alfred made an expression and Dick knew a smirk was tugging at his lips, "Are you going to find Miss Kori?"

"I have to talk to her about something... important."

Alfred nodded and simply let it go there. They bid each other goodbye and Dick left without another word to anyone. He groaned aloud as he realised that he had to abandon his car due to drinking over the limit. With quick thought, he lightly jogged through the gates of the manor and continued down the street.

Once Dick had approached a busier area, he whistled for a taxi. Two stopped for him and he inwardly smirked; he loved being known across Gotham sometimes. He slid into the backseat of the first taxi that had stopped and he directed him towards his apartment. The driver had a distinct Spanish type of accent attached to his speech. Although, he could have been wrong; he wasn't listening to a single thing the guy said.

As soon as the taxi pulled up, Dick handed him $200. The driver looked like he was about ready to kiss him. Dick nodded his thanks and got out of the car. He wasn't necessarily in a rush to get up to his place, more so that he wanted to know if Kori had gone back to his or not. He had a pretty good idea that if she hadn't gone back to his, she would be crashing at a friends' or a hotel.

He bit his lip as the elevator seemed to take a lot longer than usual. The apparently soothing music that bounced off the walls of the elevator was beginning to irritate him. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing in an attempt to calm himself.

His eyes and the doors opened simultaneously. He sprinted down the hallways and eventually came up against the doors to his penthouse. He fumbled with his keys but gradually managed to open the doors.

His pace completely changed. As he wandered inside, he was slow and quiet. The whole place was dark with the exception of a lamp lighting one half of the main room. He scanned the kitchen, main room and the bathroom. He wondered if she really  _had_  gone to spend the night somewhere else. His eyes widened as a horrid thought came into his mind; what if she had gone home with one of the men who had been at the party?

Dick gulped as he tried not to think about that idea. Suddenly, he heard a soft noise and shifting. He glanced up at the spare room. He knew that sounded like Kori but he needed to be sure. Dick climbed the steps up to the spare room and gently opened the door. He tried to be as silent as he possibly could; he didn't know what he was going to find.

He exhaled and smiled softly. Kori was fast asleep in her bed with no one else in sight and he could see that she was wearing her usual nightwear. His expression soon turned sad however; she was still going to be angry with him whenever he was able to talk to her. He didn't want her to be mad. He wanted her to feel good about what happened... He wanted her to have feelings for him also...

Dick closed her door and made his way over to his own room. He changed out of the classy attire and dressed himself in lounge pants; he didn't feel like wearing any type of shirt tonight. With a heavy sigh, he decided he'd catch Kori in the morning and try and chat with her. He laid his head down on the pillow and allowed himself to drift off into a deep slumber.

Dick completed the task of doing his tie the next morning and he finished up his breakfast. was very angry./I He had wanted to catch her before she left for work but she had left much earlier than Dick expected her too. He knew that she was clearly trying to avoid him and he hated it. He hated the feeling of knowing he had made her uncomfortable by what he did.

He picked up his keys and his wallet and he left the building. He took the longer route to work. He needed time to think about what he did and how to explain things to Kori.

When he arrived at work, his face held barely any expression. He was hesitant and he thought Kori might slap him if they cross each others' paths during the day.  _He was wrong._

Kori wasn't at her desk when he first came up and his curiosity showed as he tapped a pen repeatedly against his desk, wondering why she wasn't there and why she hadn't come into him yet; she always came in to get the folders.

Suddenly, Kori strolled through his office doors and he kept his eyes on her the entire time. She wouldn't meet his gaze and that hurt Dick. She stared at the folders as she spoke, "Good morning, Mr Grayson. Please. I should take the folders." Her voice held a sharpness to it beneath her politeness.

Dick was at a loss for words and his mouth hung open slightly. He made a weird type of noise before clearing his throat, "Sure. H-Here..." He stuttered, handing her the folders from under his desk. Kori nodded and took them from him before strutting right back out again.

He sighed and let his head fall into his hands. It was going to be a long day.

The darkness of the evening began to seep in at every opening within the sky. Dick watched the elemental changes through the glass of his office. It was getting quite late and he knew he should have gone home a long time ago and yet, here he was. He didn't have any work to do nor did he have to write up anything important for Bruce. He was simply... Thinking. A lot.

He never meant to endanger the comfortable relationship he had with Kori. He would  _never_  want that. He just... Followed his heart.  _Was that truly so wrong?_

All of a sudden, the doors opened and Kori shuffled in, carrying a big stack of folders in her slim arms. Dick sat up and smiled briefly. It disappeared when he noticed that she still wouldn't look him in the eyes. She swiftly walked over and slammed the folders down on the desk. She seemed a lot more dishevelled than earlier on.

As she straightened herself up, she blew some stray hair out of her face, "Mr Grayson. These folders have been rearranged and completed as asked for." She informed him,

"Thank you, Kori." Dick replied. Without a word, Kori turned on her heel and took a step away from him. Without hesitation, Dick got to his feet and caught her wrist,

"Kor... Please... Look, I'm so sorry about what I did..." He pleaded. Dick didn't think she was going to reply at first. She kept her eyes focussed on the ground and made no real movements. She sighed.

"...The kiss... did not bother me. I- I rather enjoyed it... however... It is the fact that you did that whilst you are still in the relationship with Barbra." She admitted, finally allowing herself to glance at him with a soft expression. Dick pulled her a little closer so that the desk wasn't separating them. There was still a distance between them so that Dick didn't push the delicately set boundaries.

"I know, Kori... And I really am sorry but... I can't help myself anymore. I literally can't resist you. It's just... You're so beautiful and sweet and bubbly... You're amazing and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you."

Kori was blushing; that was obvious even in the dim light. She gave into a timid smile, "I... I did not realise that... you felt so strongly about me..." She whispered,

"Well... I do..." Dick continued, rubbing his neck and feeling his face heat up, "I really do, Kor."

Kori's smile only widened as she took a step closer to him, "Just so you are aware, I feel the exact same way as you do..."

Dick smirked, "Good... I don't know if I could handle it if you were into Gary from human resources..."

Kori giggled and their eyes bonded with the intensity between them. Dick brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and let his hand linger against her cheek. Kori tilted her head and leaned up onto her toes. She made quick work of searing her lips to his. Dick was taken aback at first but soon his hands found her waist and he pulled her close. She allowed him to explore her mouth with his tongue and roam her back with his hands.  
When they parted, Dick was smirking but he had an eyebrow raised, "I thought you-" Kori cut him off,

"I do not like it... But I also do not like having to do the resisting of you either, Richard..." Kori hushed, stroking his face as she peered into his crystal coloured orbs. Dick smirked and exhaled a sigh of content. He knew in his heart that this was completely right. Dick's teeth clashed with Kori's as their frenzy for mouth dominance began. Dick slipped away from her lips and kissed along her jaw line while his hands continued their expedition of her body. His cold fingertips edged beneath her light shirt. She gasped at the sudden contact and placed her hands over his. She smirked, "We should go home, Richard..." She hinted,

Dick nodded almost absentmindedly and they quickly made their way down to the car park...


	8. Chapter 8

Kori shifted beneath the warm sheets as she began waking up from her sleep. Her movement was slightly restricted as she felt an arm secured against her naked stomach. She had let the minor issue of clothing slip her mind as she fell asleep the previous night.

She softly smiled and snuggled her back against Dick's bare chest. She heard a small laugh escape his lips and she felt the smile form against her exposed shoulder. She almost yelped in surprise when she felt him give her waist a gentle squeeze. To describe them as playful would have been an understatement.

It had been a week since the work Christmas party and the two had grown so much closer. Of course, what they were doing was considered wrong but that was blurred by the feelings and excitement that they felt. It was not planned; creating the strong bond and falling for each other had definitely not been part of the job descriptions for either of them. They both found it so very easy to be around each other and they could act completely normal too. At work, it was difficult to conceal their secret a little more. They would both attempt to sneak cuddles and kisses yet someone would come round the corner or would knock on his office door however; they were doing well. Nothing negative seemed to expose itself through what they were doing; they were both incredibly happy and it wasn't lust that drew them to each other. There was love there; both of them could feel it.

"Morning gorgeous," Dick whispered, dropping small kisses against her neck and shoulder.

Kori giggled and ruffled his already messy hair.

"I believe we are slightly past morning, Richard." Kori pointed out, eyeing the clock.

Dick propped himself up on his elbow to glance over. 13:22pm the clock read. Dick sighed and rolled onto his back so that he saw the white ceiling above his head,

"I'm just glad that it's Saturday so we don't have work. We would be kinda late otherwise..." Dick commented, earning a giggle from Kori.

"Mm... However, I believe we have done the wasting of the day, yes?" Kori wondered, shuffling so that she was leaning on her elbow to examine Dick's face. He stroked her hair as his blue eyes connected with her emerald ones.

"Not necessarily..." He pondered, "There is actually something planned with Wally and that if you're up for it..."

Kori tilted her head in a questioning manner.

"Well, a couple weeks ago, Wally and Vic planned to go to this Winter Wonderland themed festival thing in Gotham Park. It's tonight and it's really fun. I've been 3 times." Dick explained. Kori frowned and she averted his gaze.

"You don't want to?" He quizzed, trying to recapture the stare. Kori whipped her head back around to look at him,

"No, I do... It is just... Do you not think it is risky to be seen together outside of work in a public place?"

"No. We're still friends, Kor. I know now... we're a bit more than that but we were always friends."

Kori nodded her slowly, taking in his words. He took her chin with his fingertips and turned her head so that she was looking directly at him, "You know you want to..." He sang, making her giggle.

"I suppose... If anyone was to ask questions... We could think of something. Also, it would be a lot of fun..." Kori argued more so with herself. Dick sat back on his heels and grinned,

"That's the fun loving Kori I know!" He chirped. He sat up and stretched his arms above his head. Kori slowly followed in suit, making sure that the linen was firmly against her chest to keep herself somewhat decent. Dick turned to her and smiled, "Well, until we gotta start getting ready, how about breakfast and some movies?" He offered,

"That sounds wonderful..." Kori replied, gently resting her forehead against his. She pecked his lips and turned away to get out of the bed. Dick softly smiled as he watched Kori clothe herself. He was fascinated by how delicate her frame and form genuinely was. He personally thought that there were no flaws when it came to the topic of her body. Her skin was the most golden shade he had ever come across and her skin seemed to simply glow due to that factor. Her breasts were equally sized and he definitely couldn't complain. She was slim waisted to the point where her figure was just perfect. Everything about her appearance seemed absolutely perfect to him.

Dick too began to rise from the comfort of the bed. He began getting dressed while throwing a few glances in Kori's direction. He was pretty certain that she took her time getting changed for his benefit.

They spent the majority of the day cuddling upon the sofa while watching random shows and a couple of Christmas movies which were being shown also. Kori blissfully leaned against Dick and sighed. She couldn't deny that he made her very happy... Even if their relations were seen as 'wrong'.

Suddenly, Dick's pocket began to buzz causing Kori to lean away and watch him. Her eyes followed him as he retrieved his phone from his pocket. He made a look of disgust at the caller ID making Kori tilt her head at him in a questioning manner.

"Who is it?" She wondered,

"...Babs." He sighed. Kori's expression softened and she bit her lip,

"You should answer her..." Kori told him,

"Are you sure?" He asked. Kori nodded and gestured for him to go and answer the phone with her hand. Dick leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose before getting to his feet and answering the phone,

"Hey Babs," He forced a cheery tone as he walked into the hallway. Once he was gone, Kori sighed and held a cushion to her chest. She felt a little bit sick and she was pretty sure that she could pin point it to her current situation with Dick. She really did have feelings for Dick but she couldn't erase her uneasy feelings about sneaking around. She rested her chin against her drawn up knees as she allowed herself to focus on her state of guilt. She was oblivious to the return of Dick until he gently tapped her shoulder,

"Kori?" He quizzed, a hint of concern scraping his speech. She slowly looked up at him and smiled.

"Yes?" She asked,

"Everything okay? You kinda zoned out..."

"I am fine. Did you speak with Barbra?"

Dick made a face, "Yeah. She was saying how she misses me and stuff but then she was also complaining about spending Christmas with her whole family. She should be grateful to have any family around her at Christmas..." Dick explained. Kori stroked his back and nodded her head as she listened to him. They had spoken about his lack of biological family so she understood his frustrations at Barbra's complaints.

Dick suddenly got to his feet and slapped his hands together. He turned to her with that signature grin of his, "Let's get ready to go," He suggested,

Kori raised an eyebrow and tilted her head,

"The Christmas festival in Gotham Park, remember?" He laughed,

Kori broke out into one of her incandescent smiles and stood up, "Oh yes!" She exclaimed.

Dick slid his hands around her waist until they rested upon the small of her back and dropped a lingering kiss against her awaiting lips. They gave each other a timid smirk and turned to grab their things.

When Dick and Kori arrived outside of the festival entrance, all of Dick's friends were already there. Wally stood with his face tucked neatly beneath his enormous scarf and his hands thrust into his pockets. His eyes widened when he saw Dick get out of his car.

"Finally!" Wally shouted at him, "Man, I'm freezing! What took you so-"

Wally was cut off as he noticed Kori slowly walk over to them. Dick smiled at Kori and beckoned her closer. Anyone could tell that she was nervous.

Dick turned back to Wally, "I hope you guys don't mind... I thought I could invite another friend along," Dick explained. Kori inwardly frowned at the word 'friend' but she understood that they had to act differently when they were not alone.

"It's cool. Hey Kori!" Wally rejoiced, intertwining his fingers with Jenny's.

"The more the merrier!" Karen beamed,

"Sup, little red," Vic greeted, patting her shoulder. Kori smiled and said hello to all of them politely. She was generally quite comfortable around them all considering she had only just really begun to get to know them. She mainly stood with Rachel throughout the night. She knew Rachel the best out of all of them after all.

Kori didn't think that she would feel comfortable during the event or even enjoy herself but she was so very wrong. The whole group were still big children at heart. The very first place that they headed for were the rides. Kori desperately tried to stay away from Dick so that no questions or suspicions were raised. The expression on his face when Kori distanced herself and chose everyone else to be partners with on rides instead of him, broke her heart. She wasn't doing it to deliberately make him feel down; she didn't want anyone questioning their relations with one another.

After they escorted themselves off of a loop-the-loop rollercoaster, Dick attempted to place a kiss against her cheek. Luckily, no one saw but Kori immediately reacted in an unexpected way. She gasped and stepped away from him. Dick was confused and he took a step towards her and tried to reach her but she looked angry. Kori pursed her lips and grabbed Dick's arm. She dragged him behind one of the market stalls and pushed him against the wall. Dick stared at her the entire time; completely bewildered on what he had done wrong.

"What's wrong?" Dick queried, slightly afraid of the answer.

"You cannot do that!" Kori exploded,

"Do what?"

"Kiss me in public, Richard!"

"I kissed your cheek. I was being careful! For all anyone else knew, you could be my sister or just a friend."

"Yes, because people's mind work so innocently, Richard."

Dick sighed, "I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted to... be affectionate. I'll stop... I promise."

He took a step away in an attempt to leave but Kori gently pressed her hand against his chest. She sighed and brought him back in front of herself.

"Wait..." Kori breathed, "I am sorry. I did not intend to be so dramatic... It is just... You shocked me and I truly do not want any public attention... Just... Please... Warn me, next time, yes?"

Dick smiled in understanding and nodded to her. She mirrored his smile and leaned up onto her toes to press her cold lips against his, creating a warm feeling that spread across her face and caused her senses to tingle. When she detached herself from Dick, his eyes remained closed as if he were savouring the action. Kori giggled which caused him to open his eyes, "I thought you didn't want to show affection in public?" He smirked,

Kori's eyes glimmered with mischief, "Mm... There is currently no one around..." She murmured, "But we should return to the others."

Dick groaned and pouted. They carefully snuck back to the group but of course someone had noticed their disappearance, "Where were you guys?" Wally asked, chewing a corndog.

Dick and Kori glanced at each other, "Uh... I was showing Kori the... uh... the lights! The lights on this one stall in particular that always have the best ones." Dick lied, accompanied by Kori nodding in agreement. Nearly all of them shrugged except Wally who kept his eyes locked on Dick the whole time.

"I don't know about you guys, but I need some hot chocolate!" Vic hollered, causing the rest of them to cheer. Garfield jumped up and down and clapped causing Rachel to roll her eyes,

"Ooh! Ooh! Dude! They do the best hot chocolate over on that stall!" Garfield squeaked, pointing at a wooden stall that was covered with gold and purple tinsel and had bright pink lights wrapped around the wooden beam supports that held up the hot chocolate sign.

"Unit! Move!" Vic declared, making them laugh. As they all began to shuffle over to the stall, Wally stayed in place. His arms were crossed over his chest and he narrowed his eyes at Dick who had stopped walking. Dick shifted his eyes before staring at Wally with confusion evident on his face,

"What?" Dick wondered,

"Funny how Kori so conveniently came with you tonight, huh?" Wally stated,

"Uh... I guess so..." Dick shrugged, "I remembered we were going tonight and I just thought she might like to come too..."

"Pft, okay." Wally sniggered,

"Wally, just say whatever you're going to say."

Wally smirked, "You're seeing her, aren't you?"

Dick gulped and he was certain that a crimson hue was tainting his cheeks, "What? Of course not!" Dick stuttered,

"Dude! I've known you for years so I know when you're lying!"

Dick rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Dick. I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything!" Wally pushed,

"Fine..." Dick sighed, "Yes, I'm seeing her..."

"I knew it! You dog!" Wally chuckled,

"Shut up," Dick deadpanned, not particularly in the mood to brag about his secret relationship with Kori.

"Wait... Are you still dating Babs?" Wally continued,

"...Maybe..."

"Oh man... You are in bad territory with this."

"I can't help it, okay? I really like Kori and I wanna be with her. I feel nothing for Babs but I have no idea how to end it..."

Wally placed a hand on Dick's shoulder, "It's okay man. You'll figure something out." Wally assured him,

Dick nodded and there was a pause before Wally spoke again and Dick could sense his grin was spreading, "So..." Wally sang,

"What?" Dick replied,

"How is young Kori... Y'know... In the sheets?" Wally questioned, wiggling his eyebrows for emphasis.

Dick had to double take at his best friend, "I am not talking about that with you," Dick informed him.

"You suck!" Wally said, childishly. Dick chuckled and shook his head. They both took a step towards the hot chocolate stall to join their friends but Dick stopped, "Oh, Wally?" He started,

"Yeah?"

"You won't tell anyone about me and Kori, right?"

"It's in the bro code not to tell anyone about things like that, dude."

Dick bumped his fist with Wally and smirked. They then continued in their wander over to the rest of the group. Dick felt a little bit better now that Wally knew. He didn't feel good in the sense that he thought his actions were acceptable but telling someone definitely lifted the pressure of being alone in the situation. He hadn't really admitted it to himself but he felt bad about his hidden doings but at the same time, he didn't have feelings for Barbra; not anymore. Kori was so very different to her; she was caring and bubbly and beautiful. He understood the reason for trying to put the guilt out of his mind all of the time; it was because he didn't understand how to deal with his relationship with Barbra. He had no idea how to talk to her. Their communication had broken down pretty early on during their relationship and now he felt like there was no point in trying to make things work. Like he had told Kori to begin with, the spark had been extinguished long ago.

Dick made a noise of satisfaction as he sipped at his 'to go' cup of coffee. Kori had brought it into him about half an hour ago. He found it amazing how she would stay much longer just to tend to his needs. He sighed and tapped his pen against the arm of his chair. It was Christmas Eve and of course, he had to work. Luckily the whole place was shut for Christmas day so he didn't have to work but he currently had absolutely no enthusiasm for doing work. The paperwork he had to fill in caused him such a huge knot of stress.

Not long after, Kori strolled through the door, carrying a stack of folders. He gave her a tired smile, "You're certainly a sight for sore eyes, Kor." He stated,

"Oh? Is that right?" Kori responded, smirking as she got closer.

"Mhm,"

"Well, I wished to give you the remaining stack of folders of the day."

Dick nodded and gestured for her to come over to him. She did so with haste and appeared beside him immediately. She placed the folders down and turned her head to the side to observe Dick's appearance. She suddenly giggled and placed a hand on her hip,

"I have never seen you looking so dishevelled, Richard," Kori teased, "Perhaps you should do something to relieve the stress which you are feeling,"

Kori turned back to the folders and opened the one on the very top to check over her work. Dick smirked from his seat, behind her and ogled her backside, "Mm... Practically read my mind." He grunted. Dick leaned forward slightly and shamelessly smacked her rear, causing Kori to make an 'eep' sound. She turned to him with a playful scowl,

"That is not the type of stress relief which I was referring too, Richard," She replied, fighting the smirk.

"Oh, you don't want to?" Dick challenged. Kori rolled her eyes and wasn't very surprise as she felt Dick pull her onto his lap. She giggled as he made quick work of kissing her neck. He quickly switched his target to her lips which he nipped at passionately. Kori felt her cheeks flame up immensely and she could barely breathe. As he released her lips, he captured her exposed jaw and he smirked as he heard her gasp. She hiccupped a shaky breath and ran a hand through his dark hair,

"Ri-Richard... You wish to do this ri-right now?" Kori stammered,

"Mhm." Dick moaned,

"But... We are currently within your office..."

"I know. Perfect setting, right?"

"Are you certain it is a wise idea to-"

Dick cut her off as he sat up straight and left her bare skin alone for a moment,

"Kor. It's fine. Sides, you gotta admit... It's kinda hot."

Kori sighed and rolled her eyes, "You have the gutter mind, Richard."

Dick grinned and shrugged. He quickly attached his lips to Kori's and he was acutely aware of his hands which were roaming Kori's back. He shifted her slightly and he half stood while he pushed her against the edge of his desk. Kori wrapped her legs around his waist almost immediately. She could feel Dick beginning to remove her shirt so she made quick work of his own attire. Dick breathlessly chuckled,

"After this, you'll never be able to walk in here with a straight face again." He informed her,

"I believe I am okay with that." Kori whispered,

"Perfect," Dick smirked. He inhaled the tropical scent of her golden skin and dropped gentle kisses against her shoulder, causing Kori to giggle...


	9. Chapter 9

Kori shivered as her body began to accept the temperature in the room she was waking up in. She blinked a couple of times to allow herself to understand where exactly she was. She smiled and blushed slightly when she remembered. Her smirk only grew when she glanced around and saw Dick lying beside her on the sofa with a soft red blanket thrown over them both. She bit her lip as she stifled a giggle. Kori reached for her phone so she could check the time. After seeing it was  **1:13am**  she sighed and placed her phone back down.

She rested a hand on Dick's bare chest and shook him gently at first, "Richard," She whispered. After practically no movement, Kori tried again and shook him a lot harder,

"Richard!" She said a little louder. With a start, he awoke but he somewhat thrashed and ended up on the ground beside the sofa with a loud thud. Kori gasped and crawled to the edge of the sofa and looked down, "Richard? Are you alright?" She checked,

He sat up and rubbed his shoulder, "Huh? Wha? Ugh... That hurt... I'm kinda happy that I put my underwear back on though..." He told her. Kori giggled and held the blanket against her chest while she gave Dick a hand to stand up.

"We should be going, yes?" Kori stated, standing up also. Dick nodded and they both began to get dressed once more. After turning all electronics off in the office and locking the whole building up for the night, they began the journey home. Although they were silent the whole time, it was comfortable. They were both practically glowing from their... activities. Dick held Kori's hand the whole time and Kori couldn't help but get butterflies from the action.

Even after Dick opened the door to his penthouse, they still had nothing to say to one another. While Dick removed his jacket and his shoes, he watched Kori who picked up a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders whilst she took a seat by the window. He softly smiled as she stared out of the window at the dark winter sky. After loosening his tie, Dick made Kori a hot chocolate; she could never say no to the beverage.

After wandering over to her, he passed her the mug. She was pleasantly surprised and gave him a light kiss on the lips. Dick suddenly got an idea and moved the sofa so that it faced the window. He took a seat and put his feet up on the end table, waiting for Kori to join him. She turned to him and smiled tiredly. Kori made her way to him and leaned against his chest with her knees drawn up, sipping her hot chocolate every few minutes.

"It is snowing..." Kori whispered, sighing in content as she felt Dick's hand rest against her back. He rubbed her back and made a noise of agreement to show that he was listening to her. Kori briefly shifted to place the blanket around the both of them, to which Dick dropped a small kiss against her forehead in response.

"I just realised... It's technically Christmas day." Dick informed her,

Kori lifted her head and smiled, "So it would seem." She replied, "Merry Christmas, Richard,"

"Merry Christmas to you too, beautiful," He responded in a hushed tone,

Dick leaned down slightly to capture her lips in a sweet kiss that lasted for a substantial amount of time. Kori sighed happily as she was released and she resumed leaning against his chest.

Suddenly, Dick jumped to his feet and Kori made a small 'eep' noise while she saved herself from wobbling. She looked up at him with an extremely confused expression. He turned to her with an excited smile on his face,

"I can give you your presents now!" He stated, scurrying off towards his room. Even after he left the room, Kori shook her head and wasn't completely clear on what he was talking about.

He soon returned to her with 2 small wrapped boxes. He sat in a childish way with his legs crossed as he sat upon the sofa once again. He smiled and gave her the small boxes. Kori made an 'o' shape with her mouth and stared at Dick. She placed her mug of hot chocolate on the end table and sat closer to him,

"Oh Richard, you should not have... I have nothing for you..." She stated, sounding a little guilty,

Dick chuckled, "I know. I didn't want you to, Kor. I just... Needed to give you these."

Kori smiled and began unwrapping one of the boxes. She opened the box and smiled but she raised an eyebrow at Dick, "A key?" She asked, checking that she had seen a silver piece of steel in the box.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck as he replied, "Mhm... I thought you could use a key to this place. I know it's not official or anything like that but I know the work on rebuilding your apartment is taking a long time... I thought... You should have one so that-"

Dick was cut off as he felt Kori meld her lips against his. He was shocked at her action at first and before he could even try to kiss her back, she pulled awake and gently stroked his left cheek,

"Shh... I love it. Thank you." She admitted.

"You have another, miss Anders," He smirked, tapping the other small box. She giggled and made quick work of the wrapping paper covering the second boxed object. Her reaction was different from before as she placed a hand against her chest and she gasped. She pulled out a thin silver chain with a diamond 'K' hanging on it.

"Richard..." Kori breathed, "It is beautiful... Thank you so very much,"

Dick smirked, feeling proud of his gift choices for her. She pushed herself up onto her knees and she placed her hands on his shoulders. She smirked whilst rubbing her nose against his before she leaned in and crushed her lips against Dick's. Their tongues danced and their teeth gently clinked. A while after their share of affection, they fell asleep upon the sofa without a single care or worry.

Later when they had woken up, they had spent the morning together and watched a Christmas movie while eating syrup covered waffles. After that, Dick had left Kori alone for the afternoon as he told her that he was going to spend time with Bruce, Tim and Alfred; it was tradition. He had tried to convince her to attempt to patch things up for a day with her family so that she could enjoy the holiday a little bit more. She had been immensely reluctant at first but he hoped she would consider his suggestion.

The afternoon at the manor was nice. Alfred made a traditional Christmas dinner for all of them to enjoy and it was amazing. The turkey was tender and full of flavour. Even as a kid, Dick enjoyed the dinner made by Alfred; he always made it taste incredible. After the dinner, he had talked a little bit about the company with Bruce and about figures within the work. After Dick was able to get away from that conversation, he spent roughly two hours with Tim playing the new games he had received. He missed times where he'd stay up late with his younger brother and play fighting and shooting games the entire time. He had also wanted to tell Tim all about Kori but he couldn't. Dick would usually tell his brother all about girls he met etc simply because it was acceptable for boys to speak of such things but he simply couldn't this time. Tim knew Barbra so Dick wasn't sure how he would react to knowing about Kori and it wasn't that Dick didn't trust Tim but he couldn't be sure that the information wouldn't get back to Bruce.

At around  **8pm**  Dick returned home and found Kori lounging on the sofa while watching a romantic Christmas movie. She seemed in a somewhat cheerier mood than when he left her. He asked her if anything good had happened during the day. She continued to inform him that she called her mother and she had been ecstatic to hear from Kori. Dick praised her for making the start of the much needed effort. He had always personally believed that Christmas was a time for family, after all. He had changed into much more comfortable clothing and they had snuggled for the rest of the evening with a tub of ice cream between them. It was a perfect end to a really wonderful day.

Christmas day had flown by faster than expected and New Years was the new event on everyone's mind. Kori and Dick even had an event to attend, together. They got ready at the same time but separately as they both chose their outfits within their own rooms. Dick wore a simple V-Neck black shirt with a light grey blazer over the top of it. He wore smart black shoes with dark blue jeans.

Kori on the other hand decided to go with an outfit with a higher state of feminine charm. Her dress was black and delicately covered her shoulders with lace based mesh. The shape of the dress hugged her body beautifully and the dress ended above her knees, giving her appearance a sexy look as well as elegant. She slipped on her black high heels and turned around to face Dick. He smirked, "You look stunning," He complimented her,

Kori matched his smirk and let her eyes dance across him, "You also look very handsome, Richard," She replied. He chuckled and picked up his car keys. As they began to leave the penthouse, Dick caught sight of something silver adorning Kori's chest,

"You're wearing the necklace I gave you?" Dick asked, sounding shocked almost.

"Of course. Why would I not?" Kori answered, smiling up at him softly. Dick felt warmth spread within his chest at knowing she liked the gift he had given her. Kori rested a hand against the side of Dick's face and brought him closer and she placed a gentle kiss against his soft cheek.

"Let us leave," Kori whispered as she let her hand fall from his skin. Dick nodded and followed after her.

They arrived at Vic's New Year's party shortly after leaving. Dick was happy that there wasn't much traffic when they were en route.

Dick opened Kori's door in the manner of a gentleman. She blushed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek to represent her appreciation for his gesture. He smirked and fought the urge to take her hand in his own as they wandered up the front steps leading into Vic's house.

The party made Kori instantly feel the exact same as when she had gone with Dick to Wally's party. She could smell the alcohol in the air and she could feel the heat radiating from the many people that were around her. Her head felt dizzy and she was slightly delirious for a moment. Apparently, Vic had hired a smoke machine and he had the music blaring and the lights blazing. Dick must have sensed Kori's small dilemma as he gently chanced taking her hand so he could lead her through to the large main room. He wasn't expecting it but that room was  **much**  worse except in the main room, people were arguing and throwing up. Kori made a look of disgust and allowed Dick to continue pulling her through the crowds of people.

They made it out to the back garden where there were few people and the main group were luckily sitting round the table on Vic's patio. Dick heard Kori inhale a deep breath and he turned to her, "Are you alright?" He asked, concern obvious,  
"I am... Are all the parties you attend so... wild?" Kori giggled, pushing some stray hair behind her ear. Dick grinned and made a thoughtful expression before nodding.

Suddenly, a familiar voice caught their attention, "Yo! Guys!" Vic shouted.  
They looked up and walked over after seeing Vic beckoning to them. He grinned at them cheerfully, "Glad you could both make it!" He stated. Dick nodded whereas Kori leaned in and gently hugged Vic.

"Thank you for the invitation, Victor. Your home is lovely... Well, what I could see of it." Kori shrugged,

Vic chuckled, "I know, it's a little crazy in there, huh?"

"Just a bit," Dick added, earning a chuckle from the others in the group too. Wally stood up and stretched before letting his hand come down against Dick's shoulder.

"I need another drink and you need your first drink!" Wally announced, dragging Dick back inside. Kori giggled as Dick looked at her and rolled his eyes. Garfield, Vic, Jenny and Karen also headed back inside. Jenny was pretty drunk already and had squealed alongside Karen as a new song played; they had determined it as 'their jam' and had sprinted inside.

Rachel gave into smirking as they others hurried inside but she noticed Kori wasn't doing the same. Kori had no expression on her face and was staring into space. Rachel had been a friend who had been able to tell when there was something wrong with Kori, even in high school so she knew there was a problem now.

"Are you enjoying yourself so far?" Rachel asked, attempting to gain her attention,

"Hm? Oh- Oh yes. It is quite a... lively party, is it not?" Kori responded, snapping out of her daze,

"Mhm... Are you sure about that? You don't exactly seem to be having a fun time..."

"What do you mean, Rachel?"

Rachel studied her and shrugged, "I don't know... You seem... distant."

"Distant?"

"Yeah. Anything troubling you at the moment?"

"N-No, nothing at all..."

Rachel sighed, "Kori... I've known you a long time now... I can tell there's something wrong, even if you won't admit it..."

Kori looked away from Rachel and her eyes shifted as she weighed up telling Rachel.

Suddenly, Kori made a distressed sound and let her face fall into her hands,

"Oh, Rachel..." She cried, "I am a horrible person!"

"I think you need to explain a little..."

Kori sighed and turned so that she was facing Rachel, "I... I am doing the seeing of Richard behind whilst he is still in a relationship with Barbra..."

Rachel's expression didn't change which only made Kori worry more. Rachel shrugged, "I had a feeling there was something going on between you guys."

Kori hugged herself, "I feel most dishonourable..." she said quietly,

"I'm sure you didn't intend on it happening, Kori."

"Of course not! I would never deliberately do such a thing to someone, even if I did not like them. I- I do not even completely understand how this situation came to be..."

"Well how did it start?"

"At the Wayne Enterprises Christmas work party..." Kori took a breath, "Richard was slightly intoxicated and he... He kissed me. I was outraged at first but I had developed feelings for him... I still do have feelings for him. He is so very sweet and caring... He makes me feel strange but... in a good way."

Rachel nodded as a sign for Kori to continue,

"So, the following day, I tried my very best to ignore him the entire time but... That evening, we both stayed later to finish work but... we spoke and we kissed once more and things just... continued."

"Mm... There's something else, isn't there?"

"Well... Shortly after Richard and I became close, a part of my apartment block unfortunately burned down and I- Richard offered to allow me to stay at his domain and..."

"You've been living with him?"

Kori nodded her head with a frown. Kori brought her knees up to her chin and closed her eyes to stop threatening tears from falling,

"I feel so guilty and ashamed... I should never have allowed this to happen..." Kori sobbed. Rachel reached a hand out to Kori and she comfortingly rubbed her back.

"I know you feel horrible about it but... You can't help what's happened. You can't change a thing that's been done. You had your reasons too; it isn't meaningless sex. You guys have a connection and to be honest, we can all see it."

Kori briefly looked up and used her index finger to tend to her tearful eyes, "What should I do, Rachel?" She questioned, desperation coursing through her words,

Rachel inhaled a breath as she thought of a solution for Kori, "Well, you're a really honest person Kori. As much as I know you probably don't like Barbra, I think you need to tell her. However, failing that, Dick should really grow up and tell her himself. You need to tell Dick how you're feeling about it, too."

"What if he does not listen?"

"Make him listen. Use force."

Kori giggled and blinked innocently at Rachel. She inhaled a deep breath and gave into a timid smile, "Thank you, Rachel," She said in a hushed tone,

Rachel allowed herself a small smile whilst she shrugged. Kori being Kori leaned forward and collected the dark girl in for a hug. Rachel rolled her eyes at Kori's affection but returned the hug nevertheless.

For the remainder of the night, Kori more so stayed with Rachel. After their chat, she felt much closer to her; if that was even possible. At midnight however, the country entered the New Year and everyone hugged and rejoiced. Dick had caught Kori upstairs in the hallway and she had been more than happy to give him a New Year's kiss. She still felt uneasy about the situation of seeing one another behind Barbra's back but Kori decided to push it out of her mind for the rest of the night.

The following evening, Kori and Dick lounged on the sofa after sharing their 'affection' with each other. Kori shivered as a draft crawled upon her bare legs. She had redressed herself in Dick's t-shirt and her underwear. At first it was comfortable and cute but now she was definitely feeling the sharp winter cold. She sat up, away from Dick and pushed herself up onto her feet.

"Everything okay?" Dick asked from his seat,

Kori turned and smiled, "Yes, everything is fine; I am feeling the chilly. I shall go and retrieve my jeans." Kori explained. Dick nodded and watched as she began going up to his room.

Suddenly, a knock at the door caused the both of them to glance over at the door. They looked at one another briefly with question in their eyes. Their eyes widened when they heard a faint, 'Diiiick. I'm back from my triiip!'

Dick shot to his feet and mouthed to Kori to hide in his room. She obeyed and hurried up the steps. Once Kori was out of sight, Dick took a very deep breath and forced a smile onto his face. He walked over to the door and opened it.

There stood his girlfriend. Barbra was smiling like she was about to squeal... which she did. Barbra squealed and jumped on him.

"Heh, hey Babs." Dick greeted, patting her back as she squeezed him.

"Hey baby! D'you have a good Christmas and New Year?" She asked, letting him go,

"They were okay, I guess..."

"Mm... Suppose they were a bit boring without me, huh?"

Dick gritted his teeth and smiled whilst nodding, "How was your trip?" He queried,

"Boring! I'll tell you all about it-"

Barbra took a step through the door but Dick slid in front of her, blocking her path. Barbra stared at him with a raised eyebrow, "I can't come in?" She assumed,

"Uh... N-No... I'm kinda ill... Don't wanna risk you catching anything." He lied,

Barbra laughed and stepped closer to him, "I don't mind," She whispered. Dick thought quickly and forced a chesty cough to emit itself from him. She made a face and stepped back,

"Um... Ew." She groaned,

"Yeah. See?" Dick spluttered, shrugging to prove his point. Barbra exhaled noisily and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well... Okay. I'll come see you in a couple of days when you're better, okay?"

"Sure..."

"Well... Bye then. Talk to you later." She stated, going in for a kiss but then she stopped and simply patted his head. Dick plastered a fake smile on and nodded as she ushered herself out the door.

Once the door was closed, Dick sighed.  _That was way too close._

After a minute or so, Kori still hadn't come back down to him. With confusion written all across his face, he ventured upstairs to his bedroom. When he opened the door, he witnessed Kori sitting on the floor with her back against the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest. She didn't look up when he opened the door and that concerned him a little bit.

With a sigh, Dick wandered over to Kori and crouched down so he was at her level. He smiled and brushed some of her hair away from her face which made her stare at him. She didn't look happy but at least he got her to look at him.

"She's gone, Kor..." He told her, in a quiet tone. Kori blinked before nodding slowly and giving him the tiniest of smiles. Dick brushed it off for the moment and leaned in to kiss her.

Kori inhaled a breath and turned her head to the side so that Dick's lips collided with the side of her face. Dick reeled back with a hurt expression as if Kori had slapped him.  
"Is... Something wrong, Kor?" He asked, worried for the answer,

Kori gave into an exasperated sigh, "I do not wish to do this anymore, Richard..." She admitted,

Dick sat back on his heels, heart thumping due to her words, "Wh-What? You don't wanna see me anymore?"

"No, No! I still wish to see you and I truly wish to date you but... I cannot do so whilst you are still in the relationship with Barbra. I have been think about it a lot over the past couple of weeks and... It is wrong, Richard. We must stop."

"I want you; not her."

Kori shot upwards, "Clearly not!" Kori exploded, pacing out of the room as she continued, "If you did truly  _want_  me, you would have done the breaking up with her already!"

"Kori..." Dick sighed as he followed her down the steps into the main room. Suddenly she spun back around with an angry fire alighting her eyes,

"Am I simply a child to you!?"

"What? No-"

"I must be the most foolish girl in this entire world! I allowed this whole situation to happen! I allowed myself to develop feelings for you and... I was just a simple sex object for you-"

Dick grabbed Kori's upper arms and brought her close, "Stop it! You know none of that is true! You know exactly how I feel about you. Nothing's changed, okay? Things are just... tougher now. I still want to be with you!"

Kori shrugged herself out of Dick's grip and blew some hair out of her eyes, "If you care so very much about me then why are we still doing this behind your girlfriend's back?"

Dick couldn't think of an answer so he remained silence. Kori seemed lifeless now and she simply nodded, "That is what I thought." She deadpanned,

Kori turned to leave but Dick caught her wrist gently, "I'll tell her tonight, Kori. I promise." He vowed,

Kori pulled herself free from Dick and sighed, "I shall believe it when I see it..." Kori informed him, "I wish to be alone for a while."

Without another word of protest, Dick let Kori walk out the door. He had no idea when she would be back but he really hoped that she would come back. He wanted this whole thing to be over too but he was afraid of what was going to happen. He didn't know it had made Kori feel so very guilty; if he had known, he would have tried breaking up with Barbra a lot sooner.

Dick took a seat and whipped out his phone from his pocket. He told Barbra to meet him at the nearby bar that they both knew in half an hour. He needed to get this over with and he had to figure out a way to do so qucikly...


	10. Chapter 10

Dick tapped his fingers against the edge of the bar as he awaited the arrival of Barbra. He was nervous to say the least. Sure, he may not have felt anything romantic for Babs anymore but he still had a heart and he was worried of how she was going to react. She had every right to be angry at him considering he had been cheating on her with Kori. He sighed as his thoughts of her reaction worsened.

He bit his lip and tapped his foot until the door to the bar opened to reveal Barbra. She did what she usually did; she flashed him a smile and sashayed over to him. He gulped as she got closer. He could feel the palms of his hands becoming sweatier.

Barbra raised an eyebrow at him as she wandered over, "You okay? You look like you're gonna puke or something." She estimated,

"Babs... Sit down... I have to tell you some things..."

"I don't like the sound of that, Dick."

"Yeah... You're not gonna like the rest of what I have to say either."

Barbra sat on the stool opposite him and watched him like a hawk. Dick inhaled a shaky breath and began explaining, "Look... The time we've been together for has been great; it really has but-"

"Oh my gosh... You- You wanna break up with me?" Barbra hiccupped,

"Please don't cry... I'm sorry Babs... I just- I don't feel the spark anymore. I wish I did but, I don't..." Dick paused, "Sides... Once you hear what I've done, you're gonna wanna punch me; not cry..."

Barbra looked up as soon as he said that, "What have you done?" She asked, no emotion presenting itself.

"I... I... I've been seeing Kori behind your back..." Dick admitted, squeezing his eyes shut as the words fell from his mouth.

After no words were uttered by Barbra, his heart stopped and he had to open his eyes. As he did, he saw her storming out of the bar. With haste, he jumped off of his stool and sprinted out after her.

"Barbra? Barbra!" He called. As he caught up with her, she immediately turned round and Dick felt a sharp sting against his cheek. The girl may not have looked very dangerous but a slap from her held enough venom to make you forget memories.

"How dare you!" She seethed, tears falling down her cheeks, "How could you!? I completely believed you when you said there was nothing going on between you two!"

"Nothing was going on when you asked that, I swear."

Barbra snorted and turned back to continue walking. Dick was confused considering she lived the other way, "Where are you going?" Dick queried, struggling to catch up with her,

"I'm guessing that little tramp is waiting for you at yours, right? I'm gonna teach her a lesson about stealing other peoples boyfriends."

"No!" Dick shouted, speedily jumping in front of her to block the path, "Please Babs... Kori isn't the bad guy in this!"

"Oh, is that right? So, she had no idea what she was doing when she slept with you probably countless times!?"

Dick sighed, "She knew what she was doing; we both did. Look... Kori is the one who made me tell you. She's felt so ashamed and so guilty about what we've been doing that she's been trying to convince me to tell you."

"So it's you who's the complete bastard; what a surprise!"

"Look, can we please just sit and talk?"

Barbra breathed deeply as frustration and fury swelled her emotional state. She gave a short nod which Dick didn't dare miss. They wandered over to a bench which was outside the window of a coffee shop.

"So, how did it all start, anyway?" Barbra asked with a low tone as she leaned back against the bench.

Dick inhaled a breath, "I'll be completely honest with you; she's been living with me for a while now and that's the first thing I think you should know."

"Why?"

"Part of her apartment burnt down and rather her stay at some crappy hotel, I offered for her to stay at mine but that was strictly on a friendship basis."

Barbra shrugged as a sign for him to continue,

"Then... At the work Christmas party, I kissed her and I was barely even drunk to be honest. After, she wouldn't speak to me because I kissed her while still being with you which pissed her off. Then we talked and she told me she also had feelings for me and it just... kinda started... I don't know how to explain it to you Babs..."

Barbra sighed, "Do you love her?"

Dick flatered, "Wh-What?"

"Do you love her?" Barbra repeated,

"Well, I... Uh... I don't... Uh..."

"Dick."

Barbra made an expression which practically said, 'Seriously?'

He sighed, "I really do..."

Barbra stood up slowly and leaned on her heel as if she was mulling over something. She turned back to him after a moment and shrugged with a shy trace of a smile.

"To be honest, Dick... I want you to be happy... Even if that means being with someone else."

Dick stood up, "Thank you." He breathed, feeling happy that she was being so calm.

"I don't forgive you for cheating on me and I don't know if I ever will. I mean... That really hurts, Dick but... I get what you mean about the lack of sparks now."2

"I really am sorry, Babs. For everything."

"Me too." She sighed.

"So... Where do we go from here?"

"Well... I wouldn't class us as friends. I think... We should keep our distance and if we run into each other in the near future and talk, then fine but... I think we should let what happens, happen."

Dick nodded slowly and stared at Barbra. In a quick motion, he pulled her in for a brief hug. He didn't know what she was gonna do but he was willing to test it anyway. At first, her body was stiff and tense but she relaxed and sighed. But, after a second or so she pushed herself away and nodded to him before walking in the direction of where she lived.

He wasn't completely sure why he initiated the hug with Barbra but he felt it was needed to finalise the end of their relationship. He was somewhat sad to see the end of the relationship with Barbra as well as their apparent friendship. They had been friends since Bruce adopted him at the age of 9 so it was strange to know that their friendship had ended. However, he was ecstatic to know that he could continue his relationship with Kori without any worries minus Bruce finding out. Keeping the secret from Bruce seemed like it would be easy enough as long as they weren't too obvious at work.

When Dick got home, Kori was back too. She was stirring a drink mix in the kitchen and looked up as Dick came closer,

"Greetings." Kori said, bluntly,

"Hey," Dick replied, eyeing her carefully. Kori sighed and abandoned her drink for the moment. She stepped closer to Dick until he was within arms length.

"So?" Kori urged,

"It's over. We can do this properly." Dick replied, slipping his arms around her small waist to pull her closer,

"Do you mean it?" Kori gasped, gripping his upper arms. Dick nodded and Kori jumped up and down before pressing her lips against his briefly. Her expression sobered and she appeared suddenly sad,

"But... We still cannot continue properly... Bruce is still an issue. I will become unemployed if he finds out," Kori reminded him,

"Well, we'll just have to make sure he doesn't find out. It's not the same as Barbra knowing so it's not like we need to feel guilty or anything."

Kori nodded and smiled up at him. Her smile made Dick feel much cheerier. Knowing that she was happy now made him overjoyed. Now, he just wanted to test how long they could go without being identified as a couple at work.

The week passed by painfully slowly for both Dick and Kori. They found it much more difficult to be around one another at work. Before, they had been able to sneak little displays of affection but lately, Bruce had been visiting Dick a lot more with the sudden development on the deal Dick had made months ago.

Kori sighed as she wandered into Dick's office. She held a coffee for her hardworking boss. Dick smiled softly as he saw her approaching. Her smile in return appeared to be a lot more timid. He always loved when her expression was innocent and shy yet he wasn't sure why.

She placed the coffee on his desk and bit her lip to fight the smirk that was etching its way onto her face. She found it amusing when they were working; it was as if they were simply pretending.

"Have you achieved much within your work today, Mr Grayson?" She asked, politely.

Dick chuckled and leaned back in his chair, "Don't I always, Kori?" He returned.

"Very true, Mr Grayson."

"But..." Dick paused, getting to his feet and walking around to stand in front of Kori, "Do you know what'd make me feel a lot better than just achieving my work?"

"I have no idea, Mr Grayson." Kori stated, allowing her eyes to flutter,

"A kiss from a beautiful secretary." He growled,

"Richard... You know we cannot. What if someone were to see?" Kori whispered,

"No one will see, Kor..." Dick urged.

Kori inhaled a breath and shrugged in the process. Dick grinned and licked his lips before taking Kori's delicate chin with his index finger and pulling her face towards his. Their lips melded perfectly together and Kori couldn't help but giggle as Dick explored her mouth with his tongue.

Suddenly, a loud cough made them spring apart from one another. Dick's heart stopped and Kori felt a sudden chill as they both looked over at the office doors to see Bruce, looking immensely unimpressed. Bruce raised an eyebrow at the two and eyed Kori like she was a lowly insect that needed to be crushed, "Miss Anders. Could you wait outside? I believe I need to speak with you." Bruce said in the fake tone which meant she was in trouble.

Kori nodded immediately and left without a single word to Dick who was running a hand through his dark hair out of embarrassment and fear of what was going to happen to Kori.

After Kori was out of the room, Dick turned to Bruce,

"Bruce, listen, I-" Bruce cut him off,

"I'll deal with you later." He said simply. With that, Bruce marched out of the office and Dick didn't have the guts to go against Bruce and follow after.

After half an hour had passed, Dick wandered out of his office like a scared little kid to see what exactly was happening. He noticed Bruce was standing by Kori's desk with his arms folded. His stomach dropped when he saw how clear the desk looked.

"Where's Kori?" Dick asked, not caring about formalities with names,

"I fired her." Bruce admitted, straight forwardly.

"What!?"

"You know the rules, Dick."

"You can't do that! I'm not a kid anymore, Bruce."

"The rule goes for everyone in this building, Dick. If you want to get anywhere in this career, you have to-"

"But I don't! Look... I'm sorry Bruce, but I don't want this life. I don't wanna work in an office for the rest of my life. This isn't me. I wanna be a cop; I always have."

Bruce nodded as he considered Dick's words, "Then... I suggest you take the time to consider your time here."

Dick wasn't sure whether to be happy about Bruce's response to his outburst but he shook his head about it for the moment, "I need to go and check on Kori. I'll talk to you later about this." He said, grabbing his car keys from his pocket.

When Dick returned home, he smiled at the sight of Kori slumbering upon the sofa with her box of work stuff taking up residence on the coffee table. He removed his coat and hooked it on a peg by the door.

Dick wandered over to the sofa and sat by her feet. He shook her gently,

"Huh? Oh... Greetings, Richard..." She yawned,

"Hey baby..." Richard soothed, placing his hand against her cheek, "I can't believe Bruce fired you. I'm so gonna-"

"Shh... We knew the risk was inevitable, Richard,"

"You don't seem very upset considering you just lost your job..."

Kori beamed at him, "I am not..." She began, "I am disappointed that the job did not work out for as long as I had hoped but...I received an offer from a clothing company to model their new line of clothing!"

Dick's jaw dropped and his eyes widened, "Seriously!? No way! I'm so proud of you!" He chirped. Kori giggled loudly as he grabbed her and brought her into a tender hug.

"I am most excited! I begin working as of next week and it is just on the outskirts of Gotham!" She chattered,

Dick grinned, "Well at least some good news came outta today."

Kori sat back from Dick's embrace and frowned as she stared at her lap, "There is also... Another type of good news..."

"Yeah?" Dick pushed,

"Well... My apartment has been restored fully and they informed me that I can move back in tonight if I wish to..."

Dick's face visibly paled, "Oh? That's... Great..." He lied,

"They need confirmation soon..."

"It's awesome... Really..."

"Richard..."

"Honest, Kor... It's fine."

Kori forced a laugh, "You must admit, I can be a burden a lot of the time that I am here..."

"Actually... No. I love every moment that you're here."

Kori bit her lip, "Unless... You were to... I mean... I-"

"Kori..." Dick hushed, "I'd really love for you to stay here... I mean, if you want to..."

Kori smiled, "Truly?"

Dick nodded and Kori place a hand on each of Dick's cheeks so that she was cupping his defined face, "I would love to remain here with you." She whispered,

"Good," Dick smirked. He sighed and Kori was curious as to why. She snuggled closer against him and stroked his soft face,

"I told Bruce that I didn't want the office life anymore..." Dick blurted out, causing Kori to sit up and look at him,

"You did? What did he say?"

"He seemed pretty calm but I'm not sure... I think I'm gonna go over to the manor tonight and talk about it with him."

"I shall have the movies and the popped corn waiting for your return!"

Dick chuckled, "Sounds perfect."

Kori giggled as Dick pecked her lips before resting his forehead against hers, allowing him to stare into the big emerald orbs that originally captured his attention on day one.

"You know Kor..." He started, "I feel like good things are gonna happen soon..."

"Perhaps you are correct..." Kori responded, rubbing her nose against his...


	11. Epilogue

**2 years later...**

Dick stretched his arms above his head and grinned like a Cheshire cat as pride overwhelmed him. The short chubby officer beside him rolled his eyes but gave into a hearty chuckle and nudged Dick's shoulder, "Cocky little git, aren't you Grayson?" He teased,

"Mm, not cocky if I'm good at what I do." Dick smirked, winking at his partner. Dick glanced over at the mugger who was being pinned against the hood of the police car while being restrained with handcuffs. The mugger glared up at Dick and bared his teeth,

"I'll get you, you stupid fucking cop!" He threatened.

Dick rolled his eyes and waved his hand at him, "Yeah, yeah; whatever buddy!" Dick shouted.

"Still. Good job, Rookie." Mason commented,

"Oh come on!" Dick protested at the name, "I've been in the job a couple of months now, caught more than... Zack over there, stuffing his face with donuts no less and yet, I'm still getting called rookie!?"

"Well then, you better hope that a newbie comes along soon, huh?" Mason joked,

"Whatever," Dick chuckled, shaking his head.

"Hey, kid. You coming for a drink? We're about done for the day."

"Nah, my girlfriend's bringing me coffee about now." Dick returned, adding a shrug into his utterance. Officer Mason nodded and had to double take at an approaching woman. He nudged Dick in the arm once more,

"Hey Grayson, I bet your girl's nothing compared to her." Mason paused while Dick looked where his partner was focused and smirked, "Kori Anders... Mm, mm, mm! Damn, she's the best looking cover girl for some of these crappy magazines in a long time!"

Dick was going to simply tell him that the approaching model was his long term girlfriend but he decided to have some fun with it and unlike most guys, he didn't get angry at hearing people talk about Kori that way. Actually, it made him proud to know that Kori was his and nobody else's.

Suddenly, Dick was brought out of his thoughts by Mason who was hitting his chest repeatedly and he was apparently drooling. Dick chuckled at his reaction to Kori's general appearance.

"Grayson... Is – Is she coming over here!?" Mason stuttered,

"I should think so," Dick smirked, earning a confused expression from the officer beside him.

Kori stopped in front of the two of them and beamed at Dick. She held out the coffee in her hand to him, "Black. One sugar. As always, I presume?" Kori stated,

"Mhm. It's perfect. Thanks baby." Dick answered, balancing it on the hood of the police car that he was leaning against. Dick hooked his index finger beneath Kori's chin and brought her in for a tender kiss. Kori giggled when Dick released her lips.

"She's your... You... Wait... She... You lucky son of a-" Mason stammered, bewildered.

Dick chuckled, "Kori, this is my partner Mason Rodgers. Mason, this is my girlfriend, Kori Anders."

Kori turned to face Mason with the signature smile that she gave when she was meeting new people, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mason." She greeted,

Mason took hold of Kori's outstretched hand and shook it, "Uh... Yeah... You- You too... Uh... I gotta go..." Mason stuttered, releasing her hand and following the rest of the boys inside the tavern.

Kori turned back to Dick with question in her eyes, "That was strange, yes?" She assumed,

"He was just completely shocked that the beautiful Kori Anders is my girlfriend," Dick chuckled,

"Oh I see," Kori giggled. Dick grabbed Kori's waist and wasted no time in pulling her to him, causing her to squeak. He tilted his head with the intentions to kiss her but just before their lips met, Kori pulled back to look at him,

"Have you done well today, Richard?" Kori asked, a smirk playing on her lips,

"Yes. I promise." Dick laughed. Kori nodded and allowed their lips to crush against one another's in an expression of affection. Dick always enjoyed kissing Kori; no matter what she ate or drank, she always tasted sweet like strawberries and popcorn. It was delightful to say the least.

When they pulled away from each other, Dick offered Kori his hand which she happily took,

"Where'd you wanna go, Kor? I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Mm... I do not mind,"

"Well, wherever we go, I just wanna eat! I am so hungry!"

"You are always hungry!"

"I can't help it!" Dick chuckled, causing Kori to giggle in the process. They continued talking and giggling as they wandered down the street, hand in hand before picking a nearby cafe to eat in...


End file.
